The Disengaged
by Rob Sears
Summary: Shortly after the Battle for the Citadel, Shepard and Tali are on a routine mission when suddenly, everything goes terribly awry all at once. Trapped, and with no way back home, the two of them are forced to fight for their survival on a hostile planet, scared and alone. Pursued by a terrible enemy, they must find ways to endure and discover what it means for them to really live.
1. Chapter 1: Garden World

_It has been two months since the Battle of the Citadel._

_The rogue Spectre Saren Arterius was defeated by the human Commander John Shepard, and the Reaper, Sovereign, was destroyed in a ferocious turn of events that shook the galaxy._

_For the moment, there is a tender peace, but paranoia has begun to spread throughout the civilized races. Fear lurks about in the shadows; people have begun to question their safety._

_In order to combat the rising tension, Shepard and his crew have been dispatched to quell any sign of insurgencies amongst the geth. So far, all claims have been proven baseless, but there are too many requests for aid and none can be ignored._

_In order to satisfy their given objectives, Shepard has split his team up to cover the most ground, confident that several reports for assistance are mere fabrications._

_It is this assumption that would cause everything to unfurl in disaster…_

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><p><strong>The Disengaged<strong>

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><p><span>Eagle Nebula – Amun System<span>

The UT-47 Drop Shuttle, more affectionately known as the Kodiak, buzzed through the cold reaches of space and proceeded on course toward the blue and green planet quickly filling the field of view. The craft had just entered mass production after being extensively prototyped by MirCon and P/Trin, a joint venture between one of the largest manufacturing conglomerates on Earth and a noted turian technology company and now it had been quickly put to use once it had rolled off the factory floor. The stubby craft could mask its heat emissions, making it effectively invisible to traditional sensors and it could also enter limited FTL jumps in addition to being able to utilize the relay system. This meant that the Kodiak was practically a tinier version of the Normandy, the sleek ship that had occupied the hearts and minds of free people across the galaxy for the last two months, due to its prominence in rescuing the Citadel Council from the geth attack while leading the charge.

This Kodiak was painted blue, Alliance colors, but it was not yet equipped with any weapons for defense despite its military association. Such an addition required more time for testing and the occupants of the craft had a more dire need for additional transport rather than worrying about the uses of further armaments. The situation at the moment was ideal with its current range of options and in theory would not require a use of force at all. This would just be a regular mission like the last successive five, just a quick drop in and out. Simple enough.

The garden world of Anhur, named after an Egyptian god of war, began to find itself host to the Kodiak infringing upon its borders. Quickly, the front of the craft began to heat up as the friction from reentry began to sear the metal, turning it red hot. Once the Kodiak had passed through that initial border, the racing wind cooled the smoking craft and it proceeded on its way through the towering clouds.

A low layer of stratus clouds obscured the ground but a few spires of black mountains rose along the horizon, puncturing the white layer. The Kodiak raced on through, seemingly intent on a specific point on the planet for it to land. The blue sky was brilliant overhead, with a few wispy clouds distorting light from the crystallized particles suspended in mid-air.

Passing only a mile from the side of a particularly tall mountain, the Kodiak's forward thrusters fired and the craft began to slow. Angling downward, the shuttle started to pass through the low hanging clouds, instrumentation doing all the work from here. A few minutes passed of complete visual blindness, itself not a reason to worry because a visual point of reference was no longer a requisite for any flying object in this day and age.

With little fanfare, the bottom of the craft burst through the clouds and the extent of the landscape was revealed. The mountainous terrain was rocky and blackened, steam rose from vents halfway up the summit. There were a few places where heat was escaping into the air from the ground as denoted by the wavy distortion from the differing temperatures. Obviously a site of volcanic activity.

A few miles downward, the green edges of a lush jungle suddenly stood out, fueled by the fertile soil in the area. The canopy of trees covered the rolling hills that were not in the way of the many lava flows that had permeated the area recently. The cries of animals echoed through the empty wasteland, birds could be seen flying in the air from tree to tree. It looked to be a very healthy place and quite capable of supporting a range of life, not unlike what the rainforests back on Earth used to be before they had been completely deforested by the endless corporations for profit. This world had not been spoiled, yet.

The Kodiak found a patch of soft, sandy ground in the middle of a valley and gently set down upon it, well away from any rocks that could jab at the craft's undercarriage. The thrusters quieted; the craft a big blue dot against a black and grey backdrop. With nothing but the wind creating noise, the low valley carried the sound of the shuttle door opening far and away, letting it last before the surrounding silence swallowed it up.

Gingerly, Commander Shepard stepped out of the shuttle, boots sinking into the black sand below. He surveyed the landscape for a minute, breathing in the rich air, before gesturing to the other person inside, a clear indication for them to follow. Once the all-clear was given, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya joined him on the earth, both starting to trudge up a slope, weapons out and ready as they left shoe imprints upon the ground.

Tali looked down at her omni-tool briefly as she opened up the necessary program. "The signal is definitely getting stronger." She pointed in the direction they were traveling. "Just a few hundred meters that way."

Shepard hefted the assault rifle he carried in his hands, his armor creaking as he hiked at a forty-five degree angle. "Hopefully this will yield something more fruitful than the last four planetfalls so far, but distress calls always seem to attract unwanted attention so keep your eyes alert."

"It's either been two things with distress signals, I've learned," Tali agreed as they maneuvered around a large boulder. "Either they were completely fabricated from panicked locals or they were part of some kind of trap."

"I'm betting this is probably another trap," Shepard sighed. "You're right in the fact that there has been little variation with this sort of thing. But, then again, someone's got to do this job. Might as well be us. But stay close, no telling who or what could be nearby."

"Right behind you, Shepard."

The sight of the two together would not really be considered normality for anyone, truthfully. Tali was a quarian, and unlike most quarians, her duty was to a human ship instead of one commanded by her own people. Normally, a quarian would embark on a Pilgrimage to seek out something of value to bring back to their fleet in exchange for a posting aboard one of their ships. However, extreme circumstances had forced the paths of Shepard and Tali to collide and, sensing an opportunity, Tali practically begged Shepard to take her along, not unwilling to let her story end here. This was merely an extension to her Pilgrimage, working on board a human ship to aid in the greater good. Passing up such a lucky circumstance would have reflected poorly on her and she made sure that Shepard knew that before he mentally processed her request.

In hindsight, allowing her on board the Normandy had probably been one of the best decisions Shepard could have ever made in his entire life because he found out that Tali was a genius with spaceships and engineering, capable of working efficiently with any electronic device. She was a natural with a shotgun and definitely was the most surprising member out of anyone in his team. Shepard's inexperience with quarians had quickly vanished once he got to talking with Tali, who was more than willing to share with him aspects of her society. Despite her claims to the contrary, she was very engaged and enthralling as a conversationalist and their discussions always ran longer than he expected while they chatted and compared concepts between the two species, each analyzing and interpreting the other.

For some reason, he always found himself wanting to hear more from her.

The two did not utter a word to each other until they crested the hill. Steam rose from a hole in the ground a couple meters to their left, itself reeking of sulphur. The atmosphere was entirely breathable to Shepard but Tali had on her helmet, as always. Being a quarian, she could never remove her covering because her weak immune system would be unable to defend against a host of foreign contaminants. Even a simple strain such as a cold could kill her if she was not careful. Still, Tali did not let her fragility become an extreme handicap, demonstrating to Shepard time and again that she was tougher than she looked through enduring the fires of battle. Even so, removal of a quarian's helmet was basically an invitation for death unless proper precautions were taken. Not that it mattered much to Tali anyway; no one had seen her face since she was an infant.

Shepard craned his neck and took a few deep breaths, not winded from the short hike but careful to conserve his energy all the same. He was not planning to stay long on this planet but he wanted to minimize any opportunity for resource consumption. Tali looked in the other direction while Shepard was gazing at a rocky cliff and quickly tapped Shepard on the shoulder.

"There!"

Shepard looked to where Tali was pointing, taking a step forward. Near the base of a large hill, the remnants of a Trident fighter lay scattered amongst the cracked pumice. The shattered fuselage was uncolored, pieces of it were strewn behind it as it had gouged out a terrific line when it had impacted with the ground.

A crash landing.

"Good eyes, Tali," Shepard said admiringly. "Any confirmation with the distress signal?"

Tali glanced at her omni-tool once more, the orange glow dancing across her visor before replying. "Yes, it's definitely coming from the wreckage. Everything matches."

"Kind of odd that we lost the signal while we were approaching the planet but had no trouble picking it up while we were in a separate system. Does Anhur have a record of heavy magnetic interference?"

As they broke into a fast walk, Tali scanned whatever records she had compiled on the planet. "Not that I see. It could have been sunspot activity interfering with the quantum transmitters or that we passed in front of an object that blocked the signal for a moment. In reality, it could be a thousand different reasons why the connection was so spotty."

"Doesn't matter now, I guess. We found the source. Keep your gun ready, just in case."

"You really think that someone would go to all this trouble to set up a wrecked fighter as a trap?" Tali asked as she clutched her shotgun tightly, her body language betraying her doubts.

"Depends," Shepard said as he stepped over a jagged shard of a wing. "When I was with Garrus on Zesmeni, we found that these Eclipse troopers had placed a beacon in the middle a methane mining outpost and they blew the entire thing when the asari military had arrived. Garrus and I just ran the cleanup crew in the aftermath. Point is that you can't be too careful in these situations. A trap can be set anywhere, no matter if it's a simple or elaborate setup."

Tali stumbled on a rock as she listened to Shepard, but reflexes took over and she managed to catch herself. Shepard immediately started walking back over to her but she threw up a hand to reassure him. "No, don't worry. I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Positive," she nodded as she dusted herself off. She let a faint huff of irritation loose, quietly so that Shepard couldn't hear. Tali hated embarrassing herself like this in front of him. To draw attention away from her spill, she resumed the conversation where it had left off. "Well, at least my mission rotation with you has been a lot more interesting so far than when I went with the other members of the squad back on Raysha. All _that_ led to was an abandoned mining post and nothing else. Not even a hint of enemy movement."

"All those false leads on geth activity starting to get to you?" Shepard smirked playfully.

Tali nodded emphatically, even though Shepard was walking ahead of her and couldn't see the motion. "It's just so frustrating to me when we get a notification after notification of nothing but speculative claims. We're supposed to be hunting down any remaining pockets of geth resistance and it seems that no one can provide a half-decent observation of-" She suddenly stopped mid-sentence, realizing what she was saying out loud. "I'm sorry, Shepard. That was out of line. I'm in no position to gripe about our mission. I just…get so _frustrated_ with empty promises and having them all…all…"

Shepard just gave a quick laugh before patting Tali on the arm, the act making her stiffen but he didn't catch it. "No need to apologize, Tali," he smiled. "Truth be told, I'm getting annoyed as well. But it's our duty to seek out leads, wherever they are. We just can't take the risk of ignoring any of them because one _could_ be a genuine call for help. On the other hand, considering our dismal success rate of zero percent at the moment, I can understand the discouragement."

Tali wilted, relieved. "I guess that you're really good at masking your feelings, huh? How was I supposed to know that you've been just as mad as me in this regard?"

Shepard gave a sly smile before pointing a finger upward. "Chain of command, Tali. That's where all the gripes go."

Feeling better already, Tali smiled widely as they climbed up a ledge made up of a previous lava flow and proceeded to walk up to the shattered canopy of the craft. Shepard pushed upward on his feet to peer inside while Tali checked out the side of the downed Trident. The crackling of obsidian beneath their feet replaced their conversation, along with the rushing of the wind that tugged at them.

After taking a few seconds to look around the interior of the fighter, Shepard dropped back down. "Pilot's dead," he said grimly. "Been here at least a few days."

Tali gulped. "How bad?"

If by bad she meant that the entire upper torso had been completely blasted away when a high velocity round had torn through the metal sheet that sealed the pilot away from the thin atmosphere, completely painting the back wall with blood and gore, then it certainly couldn't be called mild.

"Pretty bad," was all he said, already starting to block out the grisly sight. He couldn't even identify the species for there was so little left behind that wasn't already distributed across the cockpit.

"Oh," Tali said with a slump in her shoulders before she tapped the side of the fighter. "Insignia on the craft matches to Anhurian militia, though. This was a local Trident."

"And someone shot it down," Shepard mused. "But who? Geth?"

"No, impact holes on the fuselage are all punched inwards, indicating projectile rounds. Geth only use plasma which would only result in a neat hole and evidence of heat damage. There's no melting around the edges and we've never seen geth use anything other than plasma based weaponry."

"Hmm." Shepard stepped back to consider the wreckage thoughtfully, Tali joining him at his side, mimicking his movements. "This should have been discovered sooner. I mean that with the tracking software all ships are implemented with, someone on this planet should have noticed that this bird went missing and sent out a team to its last known location. How come we're the first to make it?"

Tali was furiously scanning all frequencies on her omni-tool before shaking her head in frustration. "I…I don't know, Shepard. And it's weird because I'm not picking up anything on the military band…or _any_ frequency for that matter."

Shepard frowned. "Omni-tool working fine?"

"_Yes_, it's still functional. I just can't seem to get a signal."

A quick check to his own tool corroborated Tali's frustration in that he couldn't connect as well. Shepard quietly swore before stowing his rifle so that he could pace with his hands on his hips, gazing at the expansive jungle in the distance beyond the wasteland.

"This complicates things," he muttered. "Without the network we're unable to get a signal to the Normandy, much less the authorities on the planet. What's worse is that we have no point of reference to match this fighter to any of the individual governments on Anhur, judging by the fact that the crash gouged the hell out of the tail, making any identification number useless."

"Individual governments?" Tali cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Shepard explained, "Anhur is primarily a human-controlled world but there is a significant population of batarians living here. And the relations between our two species are…not good, as you know."

"Oh."

Shepard started to walk back down the hill, finished with the wreckage, Tali hanging onto his every word. "Also, this planet had a pretty bad civil war a few years ago when the batarians tried to relegalize slavery here. Abolitionists took up armed conflict against the slavers, going to extreme lengths to protect their rights. The batarians were defeated but at a high cost to the planet's infrastructure, and Anhur has been in dire straits ever since."

Tali considered this for a moment as they started to approach the downward slope. "In that case, I would think that the abolitionists had the right idea. If your right to freedom is going to be taken by force, then surely you're supposed to use force to defend your life, right?"

"Absolutely," Shepard nodded. "Slavery is a despicable evil and no one should be subjugated to a life of torture and hardship. I'm not the best person to judge if the price the abolitionists paid was too high, but I have to support their reasons for rebelling to the idea of slavery."

"You sound like my father, Shepard," Tali said teasingly. "Always the staunch believer in absolute rights."

"That a good thing or a bad thing?"

Tali bit her lip, wondering how she wanted to portray Rael'Zorah to Shepard. "I would say that it is a definite positive. My father has always been enamored in the 'greater good' for all quarians. Of course, it got a little tiresome around the household because he-" She stopped in place, blushing fiercely, thankful that Shepard couldn't see past the helmet. "I'm sorry," she said again. "I don't want to bore you with my personal issues-"

"It's no problem," Shepard waved a hand in assurance before answering back lightly. "Garrus isn't here so you don't have to worry about him laughing. I don't mind, Tali. Honest, I-"

His sentence was cut off by a low rumbling that split the air, followed by a slight tremble up their legs. Shepard and Tali simultaneously glanced downward to see that tiny pebbles on the ground were dancing around, slowly sliding down the steep slope towards the valley floor. In horror, they looked at each other before they glanced at the mountain behind them.

"Oh…god _damn_ it," Shepard gaped. "It never occurred to me to check for any seismic activity…"

"Shepard…" Tali said cautiously as an abrupt cracking noise like sustained gunfire vibrated the earth. Her eyes were traveling all over the place behind her visor, two wide orbs searching desperately for assurance.

"Tali…_MOVE!_"

With a vicious ferocity, Shepard grabbed her arm and immediately launched the both of them into skidding down the sandy slope. Where Tali had just been standing, the ground opened up and an enormous plume of molten rock spewed from underneath, boiling hot and sizzling. Chunks of lava flew into the air, launched hundreds of feet high from the immense pressure before the dense pieces dropped back down, smoking as the cooler air turned their state back into a solid.

Shepard and Tali tumbled, the latter yelping when a piece of lava hit near her hand, unable to slow the velocity of their descent. The both of them managed to turn themselves upright and they continued to slide down the slope, hoping to make it back to their Kodiak in time. Above them, a towering stack of ash plumed upward, billowing into the cloud layer where it would turn the day to night in a matter of minutes. The molten substance began to lip at the top of the valley before sliding down after them, a relentless pursuer intent on consuming everything in a wall of heat and flame.

As soon as the hill evened out for them, they took off running straight into the craft. They made it to the Kodiak in twenty seconds flat, an impressive feat seeing as both of them had about thirty pounds worth of weaponry strapped to their backs. Shepard hastily wedged himself into the pilot's seat, weapons and all while Tali frantically strapped herself in.

"No need to go through any preflight checks," Shepard muttered, mostly to himself as he tapped on the controls to ignite the Kodiak's engines. "Here we go."

With a lurch (as Shepard had failed to activate the acceleration dampeners) the Kodiak lifted a couple feet before it banked to the side, gaining altitude all the way. Shepard gradually eased the craft upward, moving in a slow circle around the base of what was now evidently a volcano. Shepard adjusted the pitch before moving parallel to the peak instead of away from it in order to conserve on potential time wasted.

"Systems look nominal," Shepard reported out loud. "Thrusters online, prepare to exit atmosphere and adjust for pre-orbit burn on my-"

With a _BANG_, the Kodiak was slammed to the side as something impacted with it, Shepard's hand knocking into the virtual window control as he and Tali were suddenly buffeted around. His head caught the side of the craft and he saw stars through the explosive pain. Through blurry eyes, he could see that an engine had been completely destroyed from the craft readout. Tali was clutching the console in front of her, making low moans as the craft began to spiral in the air.

Through the static projected onto the canopy, Shepard could see that whenever the Kodiak faced the mountain during their spiral, a second plume of smoke and flame had erupted directly underneath them, sending molten rock directly into their path, straight into the engines.

_Secondary fissures_, he realized too late, mind running too slow for his own good.

The ground seemed to be getting closer with each passing second, and Shepard could feel his stomach lurching every time the craft made a complete rotation in the air. Through his nausea and headache, he still managed to yell out to the hysterical Tali, telling her to let go of the console and get her head down, moments before the entire world jolted horrendously, causing his teeth to click painfully together. His entire skeleton seemed desperate to be rattling out of his body and the tremendous noise overpowered his ears, causing him to yell in response until everything abruptly settled.

Dazed, he slowly blinked his eyes, the taste of copper in his mouth. Someone was fumbling at the clasps latching him to the chair and he sluggishly turned his head in that direction. Tali was standing over him, unhurt, but her fingers were shaking heavily. Shepard didn't know if he was deafened because he had not heard a word from her, unable to tell on sight alone if she was speaking. In a few seconds, he was freed and her hands were slowly guiding him up. On trembling legs, he maneuvered out of the cockpit and thrust out a hand on the bulkhead to steady himself.

All motion seemed to be blurring together for Shepard. Sound was slowly coming back to him, the vibrations from the craft enhancing his current range of sensation. Tali was rummaging around in the small hold above the passenger seats, looking for something. Drunkenly, Shepard staggered over to the door and slipped a few fingers into the emergency hatch release. With little effort, he pulled and mini-thrusters on the frame engaged, launching the door safely away for it to clatter on the blackened ground.

The first thing he noticed was the searing blast of heat in his direction, making his eyes water. The second was that their Kodiak had crashed in a small gulley, utterly immobile, and that just uphill, a flow of lava was steadily making its way towards them, creeping across the earth as it popped and sizzled.

"Tali…" he got out, the proper words to describe the danger getting lost on their way from his brain to his mouth.

"One second," came her reply as she doubled her efforts for whatever she was searching for.

Shepard severely doubted that they had even a second to spare, judging by the fact that the flow was less than a hundred feet away and closing at a rather quick pace, despite its relatively gradual rate of travel. Even at this distance, he could see the putty-like substance bubble as it glowed a fiery orange, the cracked upper layer turning black as it rolled with the flow's direction.

Trying desperately to shake off the shock from the crash, Shepard whirled back inside the Kodiak as Tali finished throwing a survival pack over herself and grabbed her arm. "Let's go, Tali. We're out of time!"

She made a quick noise of protest but Shepard was too fast, immediately hauling her outside and up the small ridge. Seconds later, the lava flowed down into the gulley and made contact with the Kodiak, creating a furious hiss as the shuttle's skin started to melt, the paint catching ablaze. Standing overhead, Shepard and Tali gazed forlornly down as the molten rock began to consume the craft, flowing over it and engulfing it in the thick substance. Shepard's eyes watered from the heat and Tali clutched the survival pack protectively as the severity of the situation began to loom over them.

Shepard glanced upward in anticipation back at the volcano and saw that they were no longer in the path of the lava, having made it to relative safety in the nick of time. A furtive look behind him was surprising in that it revealed that the Kodiak had transported them about a mile away from the edge of the lush jungle they had glimpsed from the landing zone. He knew that standing on this rocky ridge was not going to do them any good in any case. If they wanted to get off this planet, they needed to get moving right now.

"Come on, Tali," Shepard said quietly as he gently guided her with his arm toward the jungle, the only safe haven in sight. "There's no use lingering. We have to get going."

Tali began walking sideways, eyes solemn as she continued to stare at the engulfed craft, jumping slightly when a muffled boom was trapped underneath the molten surface from where the Kodiak had been. The He-3 tanks had finally ignited. There was no turning back now.

"Right behind you…Shepard," she said distractedly as they proceeded to walk briskly towards the wall of green in the distance, careful not to lose their footing on the rough surface in the meantime.

Ironically, Shepard had to agree with Tali that this mission had certainly become more interesting.

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><p><em><strong>AN: Well, I'm back.**_

_**In some ways, I'm relieved because this marks another opportunity to explore a side of the Mass Effect universe that I've been wanting to tap into. I've been working on outlining this story for a few weeks now and I'm quite excited to share some of my ideas with you all.**_

_**Interestingly, because this version of the universe is slightly altered, I've been able to come up with more ideas that can continue past this story into two more entries. Consider this installment the first part of a trilogy that I've envisioned, the ENGAGE Trilogy. In it, I will not be focusing on the events of the main games but rather take a few ideas and either write my own interpretation or expand on them in a different direction. I'm very anxious to explore some of the concepts I've come up with and I hope that you will enjoy them.**_

_**Oh, and don't worry, this will definitely not be as angsty as An Interval of Calamity. I've gotten that out of my system, you can calm down. However, don't think this is going to be all sunshine and butterflies for I am focused on making this story very, very dark. I hope to make it all seem appropriate and tasteful and you can be the judge if I've succeeded or not.**_

_**Tell me what you think so far and I hope that I will have properly hooked you all when everything is said and done.**_

_**That being said, let's begin.**_


	2. Chapter 2: Not a Happy Camper

Sunlight streamed down through the dense forest, making the leaves overhead glow bright green as they caught the illumination. Dewdrops from the morning mist shone wherever the light touched, sparkling through the dark forest floor.

The howls of unseen animals echoed throughout the maze of vegetation. Add to that the rustling of the wind and the creaking of the trees as they swayed, filling the air with noise.

The ground was dark and earthy, coated with dead leaves that had fallen from their high perch. Colorful fungi sprung up between the clutter, rising up to claim the title of the tallest and the biggest among their peers. Bushes and ferns grew substantially in between the tall trunks of the huge trees, further masking the ground to Shepard and Tali, who soldiered on through the undergrowth.

They made sure to watch their footing, careful that a misstep on a slippery root could send them sprawling. They were completely coated with condensation, Shepard's armor was glistening from the humidity and Tali repeatedly had to wipe off any drops that had misted on her visor. Shepard would occasionally swat at an insect trying to take a bite out of him while Tali hung back, immune to such annoyances.

Shepard clasped a hand to the back of his neck loudly as a tiny bug buzzed away, having engorged itself on Shepard's blood. He growled, partially regretting his decision to retreat into this place before glancing at Tali enviously. "Perhaps the quarians were onto something, after all," he muttered out loud. "I probably could use a complete enviro-suit like the one you've got now."

Tali chuckled, letting her smile linger a bit before she spoke. "Well, Shepard, I can assure you that you would tire of them pretty quickly. Regardless of what you might think, our suits were never designed in mind to protect against insect life. We were much more concerned with microscopic organisms infecting our bodies rather than bugs crawling all over us."

"And why is that?"

Tali shrugged, "For one, our homeworld never had any insect life. They never evolved on the planet at all."

Shepard stopped in his tracks, a funny look on his face. "What? None at all? Really?"

She nodded. "All of the pollination on Rannoch was carried out between the natural fauna, other animals and us, the quarians. We had a very symbiotic relationship with the plant life and our capacity for cross-pollination is a physiological aspect that all quarians share."

Shepard blinked as a thought came to him. "That's why your immune systems are weaker compared to everyone else," he realized. "The biology of quarians required you to become so immersed in the specific life cycles on your planet that any deviation is hard on you as a species." He rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. "Hence the need for the suits. And it was all because of a lack of insects."

"I've never minded them much. Insects, I mean."

"Yeah, well I never paid much mind to a stray bit of bacteria as much as you so I think we're even in that regard. But you never had to deal with spiders at all so I'm still debating whether I got the short end of the stick here."

"Oh, right. Ick. I forgot about spiders," she shuddered. "I would've rather remained blissfully unaware of the existence of those things on the flotilla. I just hate the way they use all those legs to…_errrggghhhh_."

"Well, at least you don't have to worry about them taking a great big bite on your face in the middle of the night," Shepard said as he struggled to wave away another small intruder. "I've still got to contend with whatever the hell these things are that keep feasting on my face. You sure you didn't pack a spare mask in my size?"

Tali shuffled her feet, knowing that Shepard was keeping the tone light but was unhappy all the same. "I'm sorry, Shepard," she said meekly, hanging her head as she pushed aside a tall fern. "I feel bad that you're suffering and that I'm not. It just seems very unfair."

"Nothing unfair about it. I left my helmet in the Kodiak and this is where I'm at. You don't need to apologize for something that's completely out of your control, Tali."

Tali quickened her pace so that she was walking alongside Shepard as they both battled the overrun foliage. "I can't help it, though. Quarians have to think of other people as we consider the welfare of the collective to be of greater importance than the welfare of a singular person."

"So we're a collective now?"

Shepard ducked underneath a low-hanging tree branch and shot a sly smile at Tali. She immediately felt herself heat up before she took a giant swallow. "Well…_yes_, Shepard. I mean, we're the only two in this area that we can trust, right? Someone has to watch out for you and it has to be me. I-I-I mean…you _do_ trust me…don't you?"

They resumed walking, Shepard finding himself rather amused and impressed with the quarian's assertiveness and nervousness at the same time. "I do trust you, Tali. If I didn't, I might as well sign my death warrant right now because if I can't trust anyone where I'm at, I don't really think I'll have a chance at survival on this planet."

"You're just exaggerating," Tali said as she swatted at a branch in the way.

"What, the me trusting you part?"

"No, not that part. Of _course_ I know that you would never exaggerate about something like that."

"Just making sure," Shepard held his hands up playfully.

They walked for a few minutes over the uneven terrain at a slow pace because the jungle was littered with obstacles: an occasional hill, a rocky outcropping, and hundreds upon hundreds of trees to contend with. The few times that they could spot the sky overhead through the canopy, Shepard noted that the clouds were moving towards them in the direction of the mountains from which they had come from. That meant that all the ash from the eruption would be directed away in the opposite direction and would keep them relatively safe from that unfortunate development. But their situation, ash cloud or no ash cloud, was hardly ideal at the moment.

In the middle of one grassy clearing, Shepard stopped and looked at Tali. "Manage to get through to anyone yet?"

Tali shook her head in frustration as she tried her omni-tool again for the umpteenth time. "Just like last time, nothing. It's so odd, though. It's like the whole planet has gone dark or something. I can't access the planet's network or…" She looked at Shepard sadly. "Or even contact the Normandy from our position."

Shepard breathed out from his mouth loudly. "All the more reason why we need to find a way off this rock." He pointed in the direction that they were traveling. "The map shows that the nearest settlement is in that direction and how far have we traveled?"

"Almost five miles."

"And how far do we have to go?"

Tali's voice could not be more filled with disgust. "Five hundred thirty-two."

"Right, so that leaves us with completely unfavorable options. We can either head in the direction we've been traveling or we can simply elect to wait in one location until the Normandy goes by standard protocols and swings by in a week's time to see what's wrong."

"A _week?!_" Tali practically yelled. "How come it will take that long for them to get here?"

"Well," Shepard sighed, also feeling rather uncomfortable. "The others are working a mission over in Sigurd's Cradle, and since we took the Kodiak, they have the Normandy. Normal operating protocols would usually give only a forty-eight hour window to report in back to the ship, but since our previous missions have lasted a lot longer due to us being required to scour each area extensively for leads, we've altered the parameters to a week. And since all our long-range communication equipment was destroyed with the Kodiak, our options have been severely limited."

"Perfect," Tali said sarcastically, one of the rare times her earnest attitude was replaced by snarkiness.

Finding that the sun beating down on their heads was getting rather uncomfortable for them, the two proceeded back into the humid shade of the rainforest, both grumbling at their misfortune. Rays of sunlight were outlined by the mist that rose from the plant life, giving a very mysterious feel to the planet.

An hour passed in silence as the two tromped on through the jungle. It felt like they had traversed the ends of the planet but they had only added two more miles to their overall distance traveled. The hilly terrain coupled with the harsh heat was starting to take its toll. Sweat shone on Shepard's forehead and he found that his bodysuit was getting very uncomfortable and unable to disperse the excess heat that was slowly accumulating, the black surface turning the interior into a slow cooker as he walked on.

Behind him, he could also hear Tali struggling too, a few pants escaping from her vocabulator as she trudged forward. Shepard frowned, the quarian was clearly unused to such exertions. In a firefight, one could always rely on adrenaline to keep the fatigue at bay but hiking for such an extended period of time was causing her to pay the price. The poor woman was becoming extremely overheated.

Shepard pushed aside a few leaves and saw an enormous tree, the trunk a few shuttle lengths wide and a huge sprawl of roots spreading out from the center. The forest suddenly cleared where the tree had clearly been pronounced and Shepard hung back to let Tali catch up to him.

"We're going to stop for a bit," he told her as she stumbled forward, wiping some of the sweat off his brow.

Her head shot up in confusion. "Wh-What?" she asked in between pants. "But…we've…only just…_started_."

Her hunched posture definitely was saying something other than her tone implied. Shepard fought the urge to roll his eyes as he gently took her arm and led her over to a large root. "No ifs, ands, or buts, Tali. You need to rest and if you refuse I'll have to _order_ you to take a break."

She gave a moan of frustration as Shepard lightly forced her to sit down on the giant root. Taking the survival pack from over her shoulder and mentally marveling at the quarian's ingenuity for bringing it along, he rummaged around inside for a few seconds before procuring a bottle filled with water. This he handed to Tali, who took it almost reluctantly.

"You need to drink, Tali," Shepard patted her shoulder before claiming a root right across from her. "It's not worth going all this distance if you're just going to get dehydrated."

Tali procured what appeared to be a straw from a hidden pocket, inserting it into a tube before slotting the other end through a sealed port near her mouth. She looked at Shepard's serious face before sucking up the lukewarm liquid, making tiny noises as the water cleansed her parched throat.

In moments, Tali had sucked up half the bottle, causing Shepard to smile in relief. However, Tali forced herself to stop after she had drained the container halfway, despite the fact that her body was clamoring for more water, and stared solemnly at Shepard.

"But…what about you?" Tali tilted her head. "Aren't you going to drink too? I thought there were more bottles of water in the pack…"

He smiled and gave a wave of the hand. "I won't be drinking those, Tali. I've made my decision in the matter. The water in the pack is all going to be for you."

Tali almost dropped the bottle at his words. "What?! And you're lecturing _me_ about dehydration?" She suddenly thrust the bottle in his face, her voice almost cracking from emotion. "That's not fair, Shepard! Please, drink some too! It…it isn't _fair_ for you to suffer when I'm not…"

Shepard just smiled, gently lowering her outstretched arm to the ground, very touched that she cared so much about his welfare. "Thanks, Tali, but I've already thought this through."

"Are you _insane?_ How can you be so _calm_ when you're practically condemning yourself to die of thirst?"

"But I'm not, Tali. Watch."

Fishing around in the pack, Shepard produced what looked like the end of a spigot, a piece of survival gear known as a spile, and with his other hand, he drew the combat knife that he always carried at his side. Watching Tali's confused gaze, he grinned as he lifted the spile to the large trunk of the tree whose roots they were sitting on and began to hammer it in with the end of his knife. After a few hard whacks, the spile was firmly set into the tree and Shepard returned to the survival pack, finding an empty canteen and twisting the lid off.

Tali's body posture told him that she was still unconvinced, but he still carried on. He lifted the canteen to the end of the spile and in a few seconds, a clear stream of water began to trickle out, filtered by the tree itself. Shepard smiled, relieved that he had inserted the spile correctly into the xylem tube on his first try, producing a steady flow of water.

"You see?" Shepard indicated as the canteen began to fill. "Fresh water all at my disposal, Tali."

Tali sighed, clasping a hand to cover her visor. "Keelah, Shepard. You _knew_ that you were going to be fine and yet you still let me worry?"

Shepard's grin rapidly faded at that. "Okay, you're right about that, Tali. I'm sorry that I put you through that but my reasoning for letting you have all the bottled water remains perfectly valid. Anhur's environment is levo chirality-based, not dextro, which could potentially contaminate the water for you. On the subject of contamination, there might be microorganisms in the water here that your weak immune system won't be able to adapt to, but mine can." He took a sip of his nearly full canteen for emphasis. "I can't afford to take away the only source of fluids for you when every sip offered here could be the difference between life and death, do you understand me?"

"I…" Tali faltered before hanging her head. "I understand."

"Although," Shepard considered after he took a few more sips. "Boiling the water could effectively erase any levo contaminants and make any water drinkable for you, but I'd rather err on the side of caution here. I can't afford for you to get sick so we won't do that unless you've used up the sources we have now."

Tali tapped her fingers on the root, gazing sadly at the pack set next to her. She bit her lip as she considered what Shepard had just told her, but she knew that he was right, as always. The commander was always right, always knew what to say, could always be counted on to make the best decisions. And right now, his decisions were specifically for her care.

Shepard reached for the pack and produced a food tube this time. He looked at the label before he tossed it to her. Tali caught the tube effortlessly and saw that it was full of nutrient paste in her chirality. She looked up for acknowledgement and Shepard waved her on.

"You might as well eat something. There's enough rations in this pack to last a while."

Tali set the tube of paste down, despite her stomach rumbling at the sight of sustenance. "Thank you, Shepard, but I'm not hungry."

In defiance, her belly chose that moment to growl loudly, the noise even reaching Shepard's ears who blinked at the sound. He sighed and rubbed at his chin. "Tali…"

"I just feel bad about digging into our rations," she defended. "I mean, I-"

"Tali, am I going to have you to order you to _eat_ as well? You haven't eaten for half a day and you've been exerting yourself all this time, burning valuable calories. You're _starving_."

"I've been worse off on my Pilgrimage. Trust me, I'm used to-"

Shepard sighed again and reached for the tube of paste and set it deliberately into Tali's lap. "Yeah, well, you've never had anyone around on your Pilgrimage to dictate when you should pay attention to your body and get some food into it. _Eat_. You'll feel better and I won't have to worry about you as much."

"Oh, so _now_ you're worrying about me?" Tali asked facetiously as she slotted her straw into the tube.

He blinked at that. "I've _always_ worried about you, Tali. It's my job to worry about you, about everyone. I have to look out for my crew at all times and ensure they are working at their maximum capacity. I'd be a poor leader if I just let someone under my command _starve_."

The tasteless sludge passed effortlessly down her throat. It was moist and chewy, but it wasn't one of the worst things she had ever eaten before, although it came pretty close. The paste was designed to replace an entire meal with a single serving. It was a dense confection that was practically a solidified porridge of nutrients and vitamins that allotted for the necessary dietary requirements each day. Shepard watched her eat, reclining a bit against the tree until Tali finished up.

"Thanks, Shepard," Tali said shyly.

"What's good for the collective, right?"

Now Tali laughed. "You just might understand quarians as good as I do."

"I've been paying attention to our little talks."

The reminder of how much she conversed with Shepard on a daily basis gave Tali a smile. It seemed like the two of them spent half the day just talking about random subjects that was on someone's mind. It always started out with her telling him something on her society but it always became a more natural conversation after the initial warm-up questions. It made her feel really glad that Shepard seemed to confide in her most of the time and that he was genuinely interested in hearing what she had to say. Most aliens would not have given her the time of day if she had asked. This was certainly a different sort of human than she had expected.

Setting down her empty canister, she now gestured to Shepard. "And what are _you_ going to do about food? Are you just…going to stick that little metal thing into another tree and hope that nutrient paste somehow comes flowing out?"

Shepard laughed. "If that were physically possible, I would do just that. But I don't think I'll eat nutrient paste today, Tali. You had the right idea about conserving rations and I think I know a way to do just that."

"Really?" Tali crossed her arms over her chest. "Do tell, Shepard. Exactly _how_ are you going to find ways to feed yourself when you just advocated me the importance of practically stuffing my face? Do humans have some ability to fast and put their digestive system in some kind of vegetative state that I'm not aware of?"

He just raised his eyebrows slightly before unhooking the sniper rifle that he carried on his back, flicking the switch for it to unfold with a few metallic clicks. "I was thinking of doing it the old-fashioned way."

"But," Tali gestured to the pack, "but there's plenty of food for you _here_. You have rations, why hunt now?"

"I'm just taking into account the possibility that we might be here longer than a week, is all."

"But we have food until then. Nine days' worth for the both of us."

"True," Shepard said as he fished out a tube of paste for emphasis. "But I can eat the food here, on this planet. You can't." He tapped the paste container. "But I think you might be able to eat this."

"Shepard, that tube is levo chirality, I can't-"

"The main thing that prevents us from consuming the others' food is the issue with the chiral sugars, yes, but also with the differing amino acids. However, these pastes are just a liquefied combination of different vitamins and minerals that are common all over the galaxy, and they're all practically sterile due to the need for quick and easy nutrients in a reliable manner. Never mind the fact that the sugars can be different chiralities, us humans consume dextro sugars all the time without any adverse effects."

"Huh?" Tali tilted her head. "I never knew that. And you don't get sick?"

"Sure, we consume a sugar called dextrose on a regular basis. It's found in plant life back on Earth and we are able to digest it with no problem."

"Huh," Tali said again, this time more thoughtfully.

"Back to what I was saying, there are few actual amino acid differences between the chemical compositions of our pastes that I'd wager that you'd be able to eat them without getting seriously sick. They're just mixtures of different vitamins, is all, and there are no additional flavorings that are the most common reasons for other species getting sick from."

"Oh, so now you're wagering with my life?" Tali leaned back as she inwardly huffed.

"Hey," Shepard defended, "if I hunt, then at least I'll be able to save food in that pack. I'm preparing for the worst case scenario here so that I have one less thing to worry about in the end."

"Okay, okay," Tali indicated, defeated. Getting to her feet and hearing her knees crack, she looked around for a bit before spotting something near where the enormous tree's roots ended. "Why can't you just eat the fruit in this place?"

"What do you mean?"

Tali pointed over where a bush was sitting, red spheres dangling precariously from its expansive branches. "That has red fruit on it so why can't you just eat that instead of having to go to the trouble of hunting?"

Shepard leaned forward to get a better glimpse of what she was pointing to before a frown came to his face. He too got to his feet and dusted himself off briefly before straightening up fully. Looking at the bush closely, he started to chuckle softly. "Tali, are you even familiar with the biology of this place?"

"No…" she said cautiously. "Why?"

Indicating for her to follow, Shepard walked down the tangled roots to approach the bush. When he was five feet away, he abruptly slowed his pace and thrust out an arm to keep Tali from going any further.

"Because," he explained in a low voice, "the red nashi is an invasive species of plants found on many worlds that is highly poisonous to anyone who comes in contact with it. Notice that all the branches are covered in thorns?"

Now that he mentioned it, at a closer look Tali could indeed see that the bushes were completely coated with spines a few inches long like toothpicks, banded a dull yellow and black. Her breathing hitched slightly and she looked up at Shepard. "How poisonous?"

"Well, eating the fruit will definitely kill you, but just touching the thorns is another danger entirely. They are coated in a toxin that causes a rapid fever, hallucinations, and up to heavy convulsions depending on how much you get in your system. Just a simple prick on your finger will do the trick."

"Keelah," Tali gasped.

"Yeah, the red nashi is a very nasty plant to deal with. I'd rather not trade my life for a semi-full stomach with that in the cards so I'm just going to go with my original plan and see if I can find something for me to eat that I can shoot. Even though the plant life is levo based, I'm not keen on taking any chances here."

As Shepard checked to see if the heat sink on his gun was functioning properly, Tali shifted her weight between her feet. "You want me to come with?"

He shook his head. "Actually, I want to ask something of you."

"What is it?"

He started to walk back over to where they left the survival pack, kneeling down and going through the contents once more before he procured a tiny cylinder. Twisting his hands, the cylinder split into two pieces, one containing a black rod, the other a silver rod.

Holding both pieces in his hands, he moved them as he spoke. "Do you know how to use a flint?"

She took the offered tools, making sure to hold on tightly to them with her combined six fingers. "I had to use more rudimentary tools on my Pilgrimage so I think I can handle it. Why?"

"While I'm gone, do you think you can start a fire? That way I can cook whatever I catch immediately when I get back and you can boil some water from the spile in the meantime so that you can potentially have more to drink. Plus, the fire will keep any bugs away, which, as we discussed, may not apply to you but I'd rather not wake up in the morning to have my face covered in lumps or for you to discover a hole eaten in your suit from someone who fancied another home."

"You got it, Shepard."

"Excellent," Shepard said as he moved his hands along the clasps of the armor encasing his arms. "Just going to shed some weight so that…aha!" With a smirk of victory, pieces of the armor fell away and Shepard stretched his free arms in all directions, grateful for the allowance of movement. "Much better. Oh, and about that fire, you'd probably have better luck with branches that haven't been completely soaked through from lying on the ground so I'd recommend getting them directly from trees hanging above us."

"Thanks for the tip, Shepard. And good hunting."

Shepard hefted the sniper rifle and indicated his left arm as he prepared to depart through the brush. "Try to stay close by the area. I've got your tracker so I'll always find you, okay?"

"Sure," Tali said as she too prepared to depart after she stowed the flint in a pocket. With the crashing of leaves, she heard Shepard storm through in search of sustenance while she gazed upward at the trees overhead. In fact, she thought, she didn't need to leave at all. There were hundreds of branches above her very head right now! Here was enough material to start a fire from where she was standing!

Her elation quickly disappeared as soon as she stopped to consider the problem. For one thing, all of the branches were too high above her head for her to retrieve by arm's reach alone. The other was that she presently had no tools for cutting down anything that could properly sustain a fire for over five minutes. The knife that she had strapped to her boot was completely useless in this regard as it was meant to cut through sensitive machinery and fleshy throats, not carve away at hard wood.

_C'mon, Tali. You're an engineer! You calculate and analyze performance statistics for the most advanced ship in the galaxy on a daily basis. Surely you can find a solution to this problem, can't you?_

"Take down a crazy turian Spectre and blow up his Reaper master," she muttered to herself as she gazed impatiently at the branches over her head, "but you can't find a way to bring down a simple tree branch?"

For the moment, she was stumped. Tali tapped her foot expectedly on a dirty root, searching for a way to properly climb up and cut down a properly sized branch. Even if she did manage to clamber up a tree, she wouldn't be able to just waltz out on a limb and slash away. The bough would crack under her weight and send her sprawling to the forest floor. No, this problem had to be approached with a more delicate touch.

_Well, what do you think someone else would do? Wrex…he'd just charge the tree and topple it down without breaking a sweat. Garrus would probably attach a mine to the trunk and blow the tree up and collect the debris. Liara would probably use her biotics to just blast a branch off. Simple as that._

"I could use some biotic powers right now," she whispered, placing her hands on her hips in frustration frowning as Liara's face came to mind. There was something she just couldn't place about the asari archeologist that had recently transpired within the last few weeks. For some reason, whenever she was able to observe, Liara seemed to be more…_friendlier_ with Shepard ever since they had traveled to Ilos. It was like the asari made a point to sidle up to the human commander and greet him with those starry eyes of hers every time they were in the same room together.

Inexplicably, Tali found her gut twisting and grinding every time she saw the two together, even though she knew it was none of her business to get involved. The commander had the right to talk with anyone in his crew but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was different about this. The way that Liara moved up to him, how she couldn't seem to hold in that stupid grin of hers, and the subtle positioning of her body made Tali sick. It wasn't hard for Tali to guess what had transpired between the two, no thanks to Garrus trying to run commentary over the whole matter.

The only hope she got from this is that Shepard truly looked uncomfortable whenever Liara tried to pry him away, most likely for a "serious conversation." Oftimes, he would find an excuse to vacate himself in her presence, citing more pressing matters belowdecks. Tali did note, to her delight, that Shepard never seemed to alter his schedule in visiting her in engineering while spending less and less time with Liara.

_It's almost like he's embarrassed about her. Keelah, this whole thing is confusing._

"The hell with it," she spat, unhooking her shotgun and pointing it upward at an angle. Once a substantial branch was firmly in sight, she pulled the trigger and an earsplitting boom echoed around the jungle. Shards of woodchips flew and a mighty _crack_ sounded, the branch toppling to the ground soon after.

"I guess that's one way to do it," she chortled to herself, moving to where the smaller branches were and using her feet to stomp down on them, breaking them off from the main bough.

Once she had amassed a good amount of twigs, she set to work constructing the fire, nestled in the roots of the large tree that they had been using for shelter. Tali set up the twigs and branches in a study construction and was about to utilize the flint to light it when she suddenly scowled. She had forgotten to collect tinder.

There was a pile of fungus a few feet away from her but she wanted to avoid using those for tinder until she was certain that nothing else could be found. Fungi, in theory, could be used for this purpose but they could also release toxic fumes from being burned and she knew that Shepard would be most in danger from that development and, truth be told, she didn't even know if her air filter could withstand such an assault for an extended period of time. No, something else would have to do.

She stood up and walked over to the trunk of the tree to see if there was anything usable that she could take to help her with the fire. Within moments, she found herself in luck. There were several places at eye level where she could see the bark oozing sap and peeling in places. The bark could be peeled off with just her hands and she collected a handful of the stuff, noting that they were very sticky from being impregnated with resin on the tree.

Returning to her forge, Tali teased the bark into shavings with her hands, piling them in a neat little stack on top of her collected kindling. She took the flint from her pocket and placed it next to the shavings. With a few passes of the metal striker along the ferrocium rod, she soon had a glowing fire growing in size, the kindling providing the extra fuel as the initial fire heated it up.

Seeing the warm flames dance in front of her eyes made Tali smile in relief. She wasn't cold by any stretch of the means but there was something endearing, something familiar about having a fire spark and crackle in her presence, and it was especially a source of pride considering that she had made it herself.

A thunderous boom echoed through the trees, causing Tali to lift her head up before realizing what it was. That was the familiar call of a sniper rifle, less than a mile away, which meant that Shepard had either found something to eat, or was just shooting his gun in frustration from having located nothing of worth. Well, she reasoned, at least there would be something for Shepard to eat if he failed, referring to the extra tubes of nutrient paste lying in the pack.

_Really? What are you thinking? This is Commander Shepard you're talking about, he never fails at anything._

Conceding to the fact that at least Shepard would return soon, Tali began to do some more preparations while watching the fire to make sure it didn't extinguish in that time. She walked over to where the spile was still rammed into the tree and she pulled it out, twisting and grunting after it refused to give for a few seconds. Once the little spigot was in her hands, she searched for another xylem tube to utilize and found one a few feet to the left. Remembering the movements he had made, Tali used the grip of her own knife to ram the thing into the tree trunk until it remained firmly hilted within the wood. Producing an empty bottle, she held it up to the spile and grinned furiously as water began to trickle into it, making a welcome noise.

It took roughly ten minutes for the bottle to fill, Tali screwing the top back on once that goal had been achieved. She set the bottle down near the fire and headed towards the edge of the jungle where there was a plant with large green leaves a few hand spans long growing. A quick slash of her knife and she found herself holding one of these leaves, admiring the soft grooves on the underside before heading back to her makeshift camp.

Tali knelt down and wrapped the bottle of water in the leaf, making sure to leave a hole for steam to escape by cracking the lid a bit, setting it gently upright on top of the scorched tinder, the flames licking at the leaf, but it didn't catch ablaze for it was so full of water that it would take a good long while before a fire could ever scorch it. She waited for about fifteen minutes until she heard hissing from within the flames. She used her boot knife to knock the leaf out of the fire, and she gently unwrapped the dried covering.

The water inside the bottle had been successfully brought to a boil, to Tali's satisfaction. All of the impurities and contaminants had been cleansed from the broiling liquid, in theory at least. The container was hot to the touch but Tali's enviro-suit muted the extreme temperature so that she could hold onto it for a little while longer. Wanting to be careful, she used her knife to scratch a "T" on the side of the bottle, indicating to her that this contained the boiled water in case she felt thirsty. She knew that this water might be safe to drink, but she would rather not take any chances consuming the bottle unless she had no other choice.

A crashing of the brush nearby drew her attention in that direction and soon Shepard came stomping into view, something clutched in his hand. He looked a little worn out but the wide grin on his face radiated his success so she didn't even have to ask how it went.

He crashed down by the fire, nodding admiringly at the sight. "Great job," he praised. "Did you have any trouble in making it?"

"Not really," she admitted. "I've had to do this sort of thing in the _snow_ before. Trust me, it was a lot harder then."

Shepard smiled before adjusting his kill across a root, drawing his knife to hack away at a few of the unimportant bits. Whatever it was, the animal's fur was a light brown, was about the size of a common house cat (from what Tali remembered in pictures) and it had long, thin limbs that were useful for climbing, and a rather rotund belly that looked to contain a lot of edible meat.

"What exactly _is_ that?" Tali asked, curiously drawn to the sight of the dead animal.

Shepard gave a sheepish shrug. "To be honest, I'm not really sure. All I know is that it isn't poisonous and that it can be used for food."

Tali adjusted herself so that she could get a better look at the thing. To her confusion, it appeared that a huge chunk of the animal was completely torn off, as if something had taken a bite out of it. The head and part of its right shoulder were nonexistent, defined by a ragged area of shredded flesh.

"What did you _do_ to that thing?" she inquired in an exasperated tone.

"Shot it. Although I did forget that a sniper rifle is completely the wrong weapon to use for hunting. Truthfully, I was aiming for the poor thing's neck but the high velocity round kind of took a bigger share of the portions that I would have liked."

He was skinning the animal as he said this, slipping his knife underneath the flesh and gently prying it away from the meat inside. Tali watched in interest as he proceeded to completely remove the outer layer, tossing it aside over his shoulder. Shepard noticed that Tali was observing his every move and he shifted his body so that she could get a better look at his actions.

"I've never had a chance to hunt before," Tali admitted. "Well, forgoing the fact that it's impossible for us quarians to hunt food anyway because we can't sterilize it, I'm curious to see how it's done."

"First off," Shepard said as he began indicating with his knife at the glistening, skinned animal lying on a sheet in front of him, "I'm not really sure how the specifics of preparing a kill to be eaten adhere from species to species but for humans, we can't eat the skin of furred animals. It's just an unpleasant experience and completely unrewarding." He now slashed at the belly of the creature, exposing bloody entrails that he cut and let them slide to the muddy ground. "The guts are also inedible, although you can technically eat most of them, they are only safe to eat through careful preparation, something I don't really think is particularly worth it at the moment."

Tali nodded throughout the whole thing, watching carefully at Shepard's movements until he produced a long pointy stick from a pocket that he had fashioned while he had been hunting, a makeshift spit, and skewered the animal upon it. He then held the animal over the fire while Tali reflected to him what she did while he was gone. He was particularly impressed with her initiative in boiling water as a backup plan and even more so when she revealed the methods used to get the water, mostly from her use of the spile and wrapping the bottle in a leaf so it wouldn't scorch.

Within half an hour, the animal was fully cooked and Shepard's first careful bite revealed that whatever the thing was, it had a consistency and a flavor not unlike chicken, continuing to prove the old adage correct. In any case, it was a little drier than he would have liked but he had to concede that not everything had to come from a four-star restaurant. When he relayed his slight woes to Tali, she just laughed and told him to be grateful for what he got, eliciting another smile from him.

The animal went down a little easier with the water that he had produced with the spile and he wrapped the half he didn't eat in a plastic bag so that it would stay fresh for at least one more day. By this time, dusk had fallen and night was pretty much upon them. This tree provided good shelter at least so it made sense that they would sleep here.

Before they nodded off, Shepard unhooked a portable heat tracker from his belt and placed it down on the ground, that way the both of them would be alerted when anything with a substantial heat presence would be near them as they slept. Shepard walked over to the trunk so that he could have something to lean against and looked over at Tali who was starting to curl up in a knot of roots a few feet to his left.

"I'll take the first watch, Tali," he said as he adjusted himself on the wood, the roots pressing up against his armor which caused it to dig into his back. "I'll wake you in five hours, does that sound good?"

She propped her head up with her arm as she rose slightly to acknowledge him. "You do know that this planet only has an eighteen hour day, right? Already you're taking over half the night shift!"

"And you're complaining?"

"But…but…I should at least have _half_, Shepard. I told you, that's not _fair_."

"Sorry, Tali," Shepard grinned as he shrugged mischievously. "But when it comes to the chain of command, I'm the dictator and tyrant. As your superior, I can divvy up the shifts however I please and I am officially allotting myself one more hour of the night shift over you. End of story."

"But…"

"One more protest, Tali, and I might not be inclined to wake you up at all and I'll take the entire shift for myself." He said this with a twinkle in his eye but Tali still felt a little incensed all the same.

She sighed, but lowered herself back down into the most comfortable position anyway. "_Someone_ has to worry about you," she said as she curled back up. "If not me, then who?"

"I guess the same can be said about you," he retorted playfully. "You're always so focused about caring for others that you hardly take the proper amount of time to care for yourself. Now get some rest, Tali. I'll wake you in five hours."

He shuffled his sitting position slightly away from her and Tali knew that was the end of that. The ground and the roots were uncomfortably to lie on but she knew that she had faced more significant hardships before. This was hardly different. But as she lay under that tree, curled up in her ball, hearing the sounds of the jungle come to life as the stars shone overhead, she still felt grateful that she could share this moment with Shepard, her faithful and resourceful commander.

_He's a good man. He's the only one I've ever felt truly safe with. I just wonder how much he realizes that._

Smiling, Tali felt her eyes begin to droop and, despite the range of stimuli conspiring against her, she finally fell asleep.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: I think the ball's started to roll now, but we still have significantly bigger things to get through.**_

_**I wanted to get through this chapter quicker than normal so that I can allot for the holidays because of course I'm not going to be working at all tomorrow. I just figured that you'd appreciate an early chapter for Christmas.**_

_**Liking it so far? Drop a note and tell me if you're enjoying it or if there are things I could be doing better. I'll resume production after the festivities have ended so don't expect me to be gone for long.**_

_**And on that bombshell, have a merry Christmas!**_


	3. Chapter 3: Trade One Villain

Tali's eyes snapped open as the silence was shattered by a distant roar, piercing the layer of bird calls and the rustling of leaves. From her fetal position on the ground, she sat up quickly and groaned as her head throbbed from getting up too fast, causing her hands to immediately clasp to her temples, at least as much as her helmet could allow.

As her blurry vision smoothed back to normal, she was dimly aware of the faint streaks of sunlight emitting through the trees to reach the forest floor. It was no longer night, she realized, but morning on Anhur.

Confused and slightly disappointed that Shepard had failed to wake her for the night watch, she looked over as a quiet shuffling sound was heard next to her. From where he was reclining on the tree, Shepard, still in full armor, gradually sat up and yawned, stretching out his back so that it popped loudly. He scratched at his face a little, smacking his lips before looking up at the canopy, slowly realizing that he had fallen asleep during the night before turning to see Tali's somewhat accusatory gaze next to him.

"Shepard," she pouted. "Why didn't you wake me for the watch? You said that you would only take the first five hours!"

Shepard scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah…well…" He was really struggling to come up with words to assuage her this time. "I knew that you're a terrible sleeper to begin with, seeing as you can't go a few hours without working back on the Normandy, and I guess I thought you looked so peaceful last night that I didn't want to disturb you."

Tali almost sighed so explosively that she considered muting her vocabulator for how indignant it was going to sound. She bit it back at the last second and chose to shake her head.

"And so you took it upon yourself to claim the whole watch? Did you even get any rest at all?"

He checked his chronometer at her words, arcing an eyebrow at her concern. "I would say about two hours worth. I kind of trusted the planted sensors to take care of most of the work, which was probably a bad idea in hindsight but I felt that I could afford to take the chance. Admittedly, I do feel bad, not for not waking you up, but that I dozed off when I should have been manning the watch, but-"

"Oh, so you don't really care of how you gave up valuable sleep time at your expense just so I could get a few extra hours, is that it?"

"I'm still a little befuddled at why you're choosing to complain about this, actually."

Now Tali did sigh, albeit a little less severely than she had originally envisioned. "You _bosh'tet_. You need to be a little more selfish, in my opinion."

"Look who's talking, Tali."

That put a fleeting ghost of a smile on her face, but it quickly disappeared into sadness. "Please, Shepard. Don't let your overinflated sense of chivalry impede what is right."

Shepard tapped his fingers on his leg, giving a quiet chuckle. "That's exactly the problem you just described, Tali. I let you sleep because you _needed_ the rest. Chivalry has nothing to do with it as I can function well enough with only a couple hours of sleep on my belt. I let you sleep the whole night because friends look out for each other."

Tali's fists curled into balls at mention of the world "friends." Her breathing increased slightly and she felt her internal temperature rise a tiny bit. Shepard had never indicated, at least not out loud, that they were anything other than soldiers doing a job before. Of course, it was all assumption on her part but it still was unexpected with their rapport being given a definite status. Hearing the fact that Shepard considered her to actually be his friend gave her a startle, but it quickly disappeared when pleasant surprise followed.

_Friend. His friend. I like that._

Shepard got to his feet, Tali not far behind, and they simultaneously started to collect up their supplies that they had accumulated and strewn about their makeshift campsite. Tali picked up the survival pack and opened one of the outside pockets. She sifted through a few medicine tubes before coming across a set of caffeine pills. She knew about its properties seeing that she had asked Shepard in the past why he drank a dark brown liquid so much and he had explained that the drink, called coffee, contained a stimulant called caffeine that was quite effective in giving a temporary boost of energy to the user. Apparently caffeine was a highly prized stimulant among humans that allowed better functionality at a higher rate, which would probably be a boon at this point in time.

The pills she tossed to Shepard who caught them with a practiced arm. Looking at the label, he smiled and gave a mock salute to her with his free arm.

"You think of everything, don't you?"

"Well, anything for a _friend_," she retorted, practicing the feel of the foreign word on her tongue.

If anything, Shepard's smile grew even bigger, and he dropped a few capsules into his palm and downed them dry, no liquid to assist them on the journey to his stomach. The pills had a much higher concentration of caffeine than a simple mug of coffee and they had been supplemented with protein in order to prevent a heavy crash from occurring. They were also designed to work with what little fluids were in the stomach so that it wouldn't dehydrate the user, rendering a safe and complete energy boost.

He'd really have to make it up to Tali somehow for bringing this pack along. It was literally saving his life.

Shepard stomped on the smoldering embers of the fire, feeling the logs break into ash at the slightest touch of a foot. Dust flitted into the air and clung to his boots as the last warm glow slowly faded into darkness. Disposing of any remnants of a fire was simply good etiquette, as there was no telling if any lingering ember could cause a nearby branch to catch ablaze, creating a chain reaction that would escalate into a panicked situation. Admittedly, the rainforest is too engrained with water for a fire to properly spread but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Tali, meanwhile, picked up a bottle of water she had left lying near where she had been sleeping. It wasn't the one she had collected and boiled, so she knew this one was relatively safe to drink. Before Shepard could order her to maintain her personal health, she automatically fished for a straw and drained a quarter of the bottle in the span of a minute, to Shepard's silent approval.

She was also feeling slightly hungry so she grabbed another paste tube and took a few hearty swallows of the tasteless sludge to tide her over for the morning. Shepard also had the same idea and grabbed a sealable bag filled with leftovers from the kill he made last night. He produced what looked like a leg and began munching on the meat, his eyes relaying his approval of his makeshift cooking.

When they had finished all of their preparation, Tali threw the survival pack over her shoulder and was just finishing adjusting the straps when another boom echoed through the forest, causing both of them to look up warily.

"There it is again," Tali murmured. "That same noise that woke me up this morning."

Shepard was cautiously withdrawing his sniper rifle, face grim. "That didn't sound like an animal. It actually sounded like the report from a gun."

Tali stepped up next to him, closely leaning in so that their bodies were almost touching, so that she could see the map that he was currently analyzing on his omni-tool.

"What do you think, Shepard? Hunters?"

Shepard shook his head. "This place seems to be a little too remote for a random party of hunters to stumble across. There's still no civilized place for miles so I also don't think that someone has run off the beaten path looking for a ride home."

"Isn't that what _we_ are though?"

"Point taken, Tali. Still…" Shepard pointed in the direction of the blast. "The noise came from that way and the map shows that there's a clearing about two miles in that relative direction which doesn't leave much for interpretation. It's not too out of the way and it doesn't look like a challenging hike."

"What are you thinking, Shepard?" Tali blinked, making sure that he was looking directly at her eyes as she spoke. "You want to take a look?"

He nodded but he still held his rifle as if someone would knock it out of his hands in the next minute. "You never know. It _could_ just be a random hunter, or it could be a group with access to a vehicle. They might be willing to lend us a ride to a place where we can contact the Normandy."

"You really sure about that?"

"No," he admitted. "Since this is all just speculation on my part, I can't be certain what it exactly is. There are a lot of unknown variables that we probably haven't even considered and this will take up a valuable chunk of our travel time. It's a big decision to make, actually. It's one that doesn't really meld well to a commander ordering his troops to do because both plans have potential merit to them. So…" He scratched his chin for a moment. "We're going to do what soldiers do when they find themselves in a conundrum. We're going to let the collective decide."

"The collec-… you mean us? How?"

"It's simple. We vote on what we want to do. We can either decide on going to check out whatever made that noise-"

As he spoke, another boom rocketed around the trees, making Shepard nod in confirmation.

"-Just like that. Or we can choose to keep heading in the direction we were before. If we can't decide on one thing, we just keep walking like we always did seeing as that is our ultimate objective in the first place."

Tali smirked. "I bet I can guess at what your decision would be. But you do realize that in all this time since you've taken me under your wing, I've never disagreed with you. Not once. It's like I said before about trusting you completely. You're my commander and you make the decisions."

"This is different, Tali," Shepard crossed his arms over his chest, one still holding the sniper rifle. "This isn't a snap judgment that has to be made on the fly for an entire squad. This is a choice that has potential advantages and disadvantages but it only affects one other person. You. With you being the only person under my command, the mob mentality of the squad vanishes completely. I have to run every decision by you in order to make sure that we can function well together. We need to have complete trust in the other and I can't do that by making decisions on your behalf. Your opinion matters the most at this very moment, for as long as we remain on this planet."

His words made Tali glow at that. It was interesting to note that everything he said to her was always very gentle, very loose like two old acquaintances talking. Perhaps he understood the effect he was having on her, that he was treating her like an equal instead of what the masses on the Citadel had done to her when she had approached them like a beggar. He truly was treating her like a valued friend. It was almost like he couldn't see this damn mask covering her face.

_But would that be something he would appreciate? Does he see me as just a mask or a person?_

"I…" Tali stammered. "I'm flattered that you feel that way, Shepard. But-"

"I told you, Tali. No buts. I'm abusing my right as your commander to enact a democratic process in the manner. And yes, I intended the contradiction of that sentence."

Tali laughed, waving her hands to signal that she had given up trying to argue. "I was going to say that I would have followed you anywhere, Shepard, but apparently you insist on me having to blurt out any misgivings I have this time. It would have been easier for you to just utter a command because I'm going to say that I want to check out the noise rather than walk aimlessly without a tangible objective in sight. Now that we've established that we can work out issues faster than a Conclave on the flotilla, shall we go before the source of the noise moves on?"

Without waiting for a reply, Tali pushed past Shepard, who had his face frozen in astonishment. She continued to trudge through the plants before playfully turning around and giving him a laugh, seeing his confused expression.

"Women…" Shepard muttered admiringly as he jogged after her into the jungle.

* * *

><p>It took less than a half an hour for the two to reach their goal, but by that time the loud gunshots had only increased in frequency. Shepard could see the trees start to clear ahead as loud whoops and shouts of glee were head over the din. He waved at Tali to slow her pace and the two cautiously crept up to the edge of the forest, trying not to step on anything that would give them away, like an errant branch.<p>

There was a tiny hill to their right where the tree line ended so Shepard and Tali crouch-walked over to it before going prone, using the small slope to shield their bodies while they looked past the few bushes that concealed them from view out into the small field beyond.

The sun overhead seemed to light up the field like a lake of fire, the grass blazing a hot yellow. Spread throughout the clearing were roughly a dozen individuals, most of them wearing some kind of red armor. Dispersed were a few sets of unarmored Mako transports, armored personnel carriers instead of the mobile tank that usually loitered around the Normandy's hold, and a Mantis gunship. Among them were a set of temporary cages, the kind usually used to transport medium-sized animals.

The mercenaries seemed to be deeply engrossed in a conversation, and while Shepard and Tali couldn't make out the words, it looked like their attention was relatively relaxed at the moment. Two varren chained to posts growled for food, while a third slept in the dirt and the mud.

As Shepard's eyes wandered, they eventually became fixated on six individuals, all human males, on their knees in the middle of the field. They were garbed differently than the red-suited mercenaries, and clearly in a position of submission which denoted that they were prisoners. Or slaves.

The mercenaries were shooting their guns in the air in a show of victory and Tali gasped out, "Oh no," and nudged Shepard in the arm, causing him to look where she was indicating.

Over near the edge of the forest lay a small pile of what was unmistakably bodies, obviously executed given the general tone of this little gathering. Shepard found the situation oddly familiar from his encounter on the asteroid above Terra Nova and his misgivings were explained when one of the mercenaries took of his helmet, revealing him to be a batarian.

Shepard quietly swore as the rest of the troopers removed their helmets as well, showing that they were all batarians. "We just stumbled onto a favored batarian tradition," he growled.

"Which is?" Tali whispered, horrified, unable to tear her eyes away from the scene.

"Round up hostages and execute them one by one," he replied grimly as he set a hand on Tali's shoulder and pulled gently. "We should go. This isn't something that you should see."

"But-" Tali protested. "Shouldn't we _help_ them? They're going to kill those humans!"

"We can't do anything, Tali. Not without risking getting captured by these guys."

She was about to cry out in objection before the batarians suddenly quieted, as if a blanket of silence had been thrown over the scene. Instantly Shepard and Tali froze, noting that the mood of the mercenary crew had been dampened, as if they dreaded something occurring in the next five seconds.

And in those next five seconds, a figure came striding out from behind one of the modified Makos, their gait long and purposeful. Instantly, Shepard could tell that this person was different. For one, their armor was all black, matte, and expertly sculpted in such a manner that left the specific species ambiguous. The boots could fit a human, a turian, or even a salarian for that manner. This person was certainly tall enough to qualify for all of them, most certainly. Shepard couldn't get a good look at the person's hands, as that would have been a good indicator in narrowing down the possibilities in terms of five digits versus three, but the person's hands were clasped behind their back, obstructing Shepard's vision.

The person had oddly chosen to don what looked like a black duster on top of the already significant armor that they wore. It flapped about slightly, the smallest breath of wind causing it to flutter at the lightest touch. Either he had an air conditioner installed in that armor somewhere, or he had to be sweltering in his bodysuit.

But the key feature about this person was his helmet. It was unlike anything Shepard had ever seen before. It looked like it was made of two parts; one embodied the "jaw" of the helmet, a piece of brushed steel that was molded in the shape of a mammalian jawbone. The steel continued to rise up the helmet where an ivory white covering, obviously emulating the look of a skull, was placed meticulously on top of it, obscuring the metal mask locked within. Red eyes, blazing with an uncontrollable fury, shot through the openings the mask allowed, scanning this way and that before the figure approached a batarian who seemed to have been marked out by his peers as the spokesperson for the group.

"Is this all of them?" came the reply from the newcomer, almost lazily. The jaw of the mask actually moved when the figure spoke, revealing only a dark expanse beyond the threshold of the faux mouth.

"Yes, Operant Grevel," the batarian said, careful to keep all four eyes on the ground. "The Mantis made a quick pass over the immediate area. Six humans in all."

The piercing red eyes did not blink as Grevel took his time to emit his reply. The batarian began subtly shifting from one foot to the next, obviously uncomfortable. The skull-like helmet slowly turned, clearly seeing the pile of bodies at the edge of the forest, not twenty meters away from where Shepard and Tali were currently hiding.

"There were eleven initially," Grevel growled, his voice a deep grating noise that sounded like he had an electronic scrambler inside that was producing a weird sort of distorted effect which warbled his words. "I do hope you checked the four you have rotting in that pile over there before you killed them?"

"I…I…uh…"

"I'm going to assume that your stammering indicates a clear 'no,' then. But I still lack an answer to the question that has been hanging over your head."

The batarian gulped before calming down a little. "They…um…their blood samples were all negative…sir."

"Fine," Grevel nodded grudgingly. "So…six alive, four dead. What happened to the eleventh?"

If the batarian's heart rate had slowed down at all, it had shot right back up again. "Well…you see…"

"_Where is the body?_" Grevel's voice had gone dangerously quiet in an exasperated tone but because of the stillness of the area, Shepard and Tali could hear the exchange just fine.

With a shaking finger, the batarian pointed behind him, towards a scattered region of trees. "It…it's back that way…"

Grevel took a step closer but the batarian stood his ground. It wasn't like he had any choice, the four-eyed alien was paralyzed with fear and Grevel had at least half a head on him. "Judging by your intense reaction, I doubt I'll enjoy the news very much but for the sake of a proper accounting, you will tell me the overall result."

"It wasn't my fault! The others…they couldn't control the varren…they just ripped the female human to pieces before we could stop them. It wasn't my-"

"Spare me the sob story and act like a professional, you little shit. The human…did she test positive or negative from the scraps left behind?"

"I…I…"

"Positive or negative?" Grevel repeated again, allowing a large amount of distaste to creep into his tone as the artificial jawbone clacked.

The batarian's own mouth opened and closed several times but no noise escaped it. Finally, he took a breath and closed his eyes for a few seconds before addressing Grevel in an oddly calm tone. "Um…positive?"

Grevel's arm whirled up and across as a silver flash erupted from his wrist, scything through the air in a split second. The batarian made a strangled noise as his slit throat began to dribble blood down his front, staining his body armor. Before he could expel his breath in surprise and spray blood over the area through his cut windpipe, the completely armored figure threw out a fist after sheathing his wrist blade and brutally smashed the batarian in the face.

Because the alien's throat had been so thoroughly slit by the tiny knife, the kinetic force of Grevel's punch completely knocked the head so hard that it did not orient itself like a normal head afterward but hung completely backwards, held on by strands of sinew. Tali gave a little shriek as she saw the sight and Shepard grimaced. He held no love for batarians but this was brutality on another level. This was rage in its purest form.

As the nearly headless body toppled to the ground, Grevel drew his pistol from the depths of his duster in one fluid motion. Immediately, the other batarians took steps backward, not one of their fingers twitching towards their own weapons.

"I should hardly need to remind all of you," Grevel began, letting his careful and meticulous tone linger, "that while I hold no standing with your little 'army,' you will treat my orders as if it comes directly from Commander Zherl himself. I have explained to all of you time and again that I have a quota to fill, an assignment that is beyond your capacity to understand, and that if you consistently kill prisoners that happen to check positively for the mutation _after_ the fact, my quota will never get filled."

Grevel was slowly turning in place, making sure to fixate each and every soldier with his glowing red eyes. "Since you are nothing more than a ragtag militia, proper disciplinary action is not as effective on your feeble minds. Therefore, I have to resort to violence in order for you to properly understand my dilemma." He pointed at the body leaking blood from the neck. "It's very simple, if you kill anyone that tests positive, then I kill _you_. All of you will benefit greatly if you ensure that my objectives are completed. Any further delays could be…costly."

One of the humans kneeling down in the line whimpered and Grevel strode over to him, pistol still in hand. Shepard's breathing was labored as he continued to watch while Tali's was increasing with her anxiety. Grevel stood over the cowed man for a few seconds before raising his head up and speaking out loud in the direction of the trees, "These six humans here, what were their results?"

Nobody spoke, aside from a scattered bunch of meek murmurs and stammered words. Impatient, Grevel whirled and pointed his gun at the nearest batarian, his finger already hovering over the trigger.

"Are you going to speak or do I have to shoot every one of you until I get the answer I need?"

"Neg-negative!" the batarian squeaked rather comically. "They-they were all n-n-negative!"

Grevel quickly drew back his pistol, barrel aiming into the air at the barest hint of an answer. "Wasn't so tough, was it?"

In an instant, the figure turned around again and lowered the pistol downward at the first prisoner. Before Shepard could determine what was going to happen, the gun fired and the human fell to the ground, a smoking hole in his head.

Tali quietly turned away from the grisly sight, her body shaking with fear. The batarians stood silently, still deathly afraid of the being in their midst. Most of the prisoners slumped further to the ground, accepting their fate while one other began to cry hysterically, begging for mercy.

"Son of a _bitch_," Shepard whispered, fists tearing up the grass on the tiny hill. "You're right, Tali. I changed my mind. We have to do something. These guys aren't even taking prisoners at all."

"Shepard, wait!" Tali said in horror, clutching at his arm. "This Grevel person is too ruthless. He'll tear you apart if he gets the chance!"

"_You_ wanted to save them to begin with," Shepard shot back but he knew that Tali had a point. This was quickly getting out of hand and they were losing more and more time the longer they sat here. A simple group of batarians would have been an easier prospect to tackle but the inclusion of Grevel dramatically raised the stakes completely against their favor. They had to think of a different approach.

"Come on," he said quietly, hauling Tali up by the arm. "Let's circle around and see if we can approach them from behind."

"Okay," she acknowledged, but was still wary and disturbed at the events of the morning as they quietly began to push through the bushes.

Back in the field, Grevel holstered his pistol as the remaining hostages began to shake in the wake of what was most certainly to come. "_Them_ you may kill," he growled, pointing to the freshest corpse cooling on the ground. "Just as long as you check them beforehand. I don't want another valuable hostage to be so carelessly dispatched by your incompetence ever again. If that means finding any more strays in this jungle without varren, then so be it."

"But…" one of the batarians protested, "but we always use varren to locate runaways. They've been used by our people for-"

As he was saying this, Grevel was ignoring his words as he stalked over to where the three varren were chained up next to a Mako. Withdrawing his gun once more, he pulled the trigger thrice and the animals collapsed as the bullet holes to the head spouted fresh blood momentarily, their final yelps of pain already dissipating in their throats.

"Varren are unpredictable," Grevel growled as he stepped away from the brains splattered on the ground. "They are uncontrollable beasts that kill without distinction. And you have not gone to the trouble of providing them the proper training for this environment. They could not comprehend the method of going for a live capture, choosing instead to maul. Here, they are useless."

He now gestured to the five living hostages still kneeling in the grass. "Since my presence here has ultimately been wasted because I now have nothing to show for it, shall I even our predicaments somewhat? Surely these humans would make poor slaves for the purposes you have in mind. Look at them, they are obviously not suited for manual labor."

Another batarian chose this moment to pipe up. "They…they could fetch a price back in the cities regardless. Haven't you heard? Slavery is legal here now and slaves are a valuable commodity."

"True, but you've just disposed of the only valuable commodity in the immediate area to _me_ so why not do the same to you? Everyone here knows that all of these slaves will not survive their incarceration back at camp, and how could they? Between your consistent abuse and the lewd acts you lot call _entertainment_, you won't see a single credit from any of these paltry humans." Grevel checked to see if his thermal clip had finished cooling before twirling it in his hands. "So why not save you the trouble now?"

"Sir…I-"

The batarian's sentence was cut short as a single shot rang out, piercing the alien's neck. The head exploded, showering the nearby Mako in gore as Grevel stood nearby, oddly unconcerned with his predicament.

Calmly, he pushed off with his legs and dove to the side, the second sniper shot ricocheting off the tank where his head was a split second before. Shepard, positioned by a stack of temporary cages blinked as he looked out from his scope, astonished at Grevel's speed and quick observance of the sitaution.

Withdrawing an assault rifle, Grevel watched the remaining mercenaries scrambling for cover and roared out, "_Sniper!_ Kill him, you cowards!"

Suddenly, the nearest Mako inexplicably exploded, engulfing three red armored batarians in a bluish blaze. Metal rained down on the small field, the red hot pieces starting small fires as the grass brushed against them. Running through the edge of the forest, Tali had little time to admire the effect her tech mines had done, hoping to reach the hostages on the ground before she was spotted. The mines were as good of a distraction as she was ever going to get.

Shepard picked off two more enemies from his chosen cover before his rifle triggered an alert that the thermal clip had overheated and was beginning the process of cooling down. That would mean at least fifteen seconds of him being unable to shoot. The batarians had wised up by now and were already starting to spray his cover with bullets, forcing him to crouch down.

The sniper was useless in these conditions. It was time to change weapons.

Quickly stowing the long weapon, Shepard grabbed his assault rifle and leaned out from the side of the crates, laying down some cover fire. A mercenary screamed as his legs were cut to ribbons, having been caught in the middle of a brazen charge. Shepard fired in short bursts, careful to increase his clip's longevity, not keen on being caught in a sticky situation with his metaphorical pants around his ankles again.

Grevel spotted the source of the incoming fire from fifty meters away, noting the discipline and precision that his new opponent was so aptly demonstrating. It was several leagues ahead of what his allies could muster, to say the least. To prove his point correct, as Grevel was firing fruitlessly at Shepard's cover with the intention of keeping him subdued, a batarian rose up to get into a better position and walked directly into Grevel's line of fire without looking.

Grevel had no desire of stopping his forward assault and could only roll his eyes when a round caught the mercenary in the back of his head as his aimless wandering gave him a pointless death, distributing his frontal lobe all over the ground.

_Idiot_, Grevel scowled but continued to press forward, trigger firmly clenched down. _And this is the best Zherl could muster for me? Pathetic._

Soon, Grevel's own weapon rang shrilly when its own clip overheated but he did not switch. Rather, he groped at a bandolier strung around him and produced a grenade, flicking the switch for a five second detonation and quickly lobbing it in the direction of the crates.

Operating on pure instinct, Shepard had witnessed the throw based on the movement of the silhouette in the distance and quickly took off running towards a lone Mako. Grevel's rifle was still cooling down, preventing him from getting a good shot off at the human that he could finally get a good glimpse of for the first time this morning.

"Commander _Shepard?_" he muttered to his amusement as the crates exploded safely behind the target, spraying debris everywhere. "Now _that_ is interesting."

Living under a rock for the past year would have to be the only acceptable reason why the face and name of Commander John Shepard didn't immediately register with anyone. From the dramatic nature of his exploits during the events on the Citadel, Shepard's name quickly became known throughout the galaxy, a symbol for humanity and the best their race had to offer. Naturally, Grevel knew who the human was by reputation alone and he quickly assembled a mental dossier on him in the heat of battle, curious as to why the man was here, of all places.

_Alliance. Council Spectre. Natural leader. Defeated Saren Arterius, one of the most powerful Spectres the Council used to have under their belt on the Citadel. Known to work well with a team assembled of several races with various skills. Is rarely known to work alone which most likely means that someone else is with him now. But who would it be? And where?_

He abruptly turned in the other direction, away from where the firing was occurring, to see the slim form of a quarian break from the tree line on a course for the line of hostages still in their initial positions on the ground. Grevel smiled underneath his mask before he raised his rifle and fired off a series of shots.

Tali yelped as the ground exploded in front of her, the bullets cutting her off from the hostages as they spattered between them. She quickly looked to the side to see the tall form of Grevel level a gun at her and seeing it spark with death. Making a miserable moan of defeat, she turned on the ball of her foot and hightailed it back to the jungle, where it would be harder for someone to hit her by remaining in cover rather than risking it out in the open.

"A classic flanking maneuver, Tali'Zorah!" Grevel barked gleefully at the retreating quarian. "Very clever! Almost didn't see it until it was too late!"

But the quarian had so conveniently reminded him of the issue before the entire ruckus started. Carefully making his way to the placed humans, Grevel looked about to see if he was in any danger of getting shot while standing here. He looked behind him to see Shepard putting on an admirable defense from behind a huge tire of a Mako. Grevel was too far away to mount a strategic offense, so he just settled for roaring as loudly as he could.

"_SHEPARD_! I'm assuming you came for the humans here? Now you see what happens when you interfere in affairs that you have no business with! Learn your lesson well!"

Not checking to see if the words had any effect, Grevel looked down on the humans assembled in front of him. They had stopped shaking, having been in fear too long to let anything else affect them. That was unsatisfying to Grevel, most trembled and pleaded before the violent end came at his hands.

"You'll thank me later," he whispered, knowing that the humans would prefer the bullet over the torture that undeniably would come with their capture. Better to go quickly than slowly. Any soldier knew the distinction.

With a sweep of his rifle on full auto, the bodies of the humans finally lay still on the ground, their worry being put to rest. A few of the batarians were looking at him oddly, as if they were disappointed at the loss of their catch, but it was Shepard's reaction he was really looking forward to.

Turning around at the resulting cry of rage from the soldier, he allowed himself to smile before static electricity sparked erratically around him. It was then that Grevel realized that he was being shot. His shields were being bombarded with a continuous assault. With a snap, the shields dropped and his head snapped back from a sudden burst of force as a bullet made contact with his helmet. There was no pain, as always, but there was an uncomfortable draft and the sensation of his body hitting the ground hard, his limbs shaking out as he struggled to rise.

"Lucky…" he spat between occasional bouts of laughter. "Lucky shot…"

Shepard was trembling so hard that he couldn't believe that he had managed to hit Grevel so many times in quick succession. Watching him carelessly dispatch all those hostages like they meant nothing was enraging to him. The wanton loss of life and the cruelty of all caused his sweat to suddenly feel cold and goosebumps to rise up his arms. It actually felt like he was beginning to go into shock.

Tears stinging his eyes, he gave one final blind burst to the side of the Mako before stumbling back to his feet and charging at the trees dead ahead. There was no point in lingering; he couldn't take them all at once. He needed to regroup with Tali if he was going to figure out how-

A quick _snap_ zoomed by, indicating the presence of a near miss. But Shepard dropped to a knee all the same, despite being several meters away from the trees in the tall grass. His right arm had suddenly gone numb but his still managed to hold on to the rifle. Clutching at the limb, he roared in pain as his left glove came away bloody, caused by a ragged cut to the side of his bicep. It was then that he realized that a high-velocity round had pierced his shield effortlessly, cutting through armor and flesh.

Taking a few precious seconds to see who had just shot him, Shepard locked eyes with Grevel, whose pistol was out and ready as he still continued to lie on the ground. Watching his foe's pistol emit millisecond-long gouts of flame, Shepard willed his feet to move faster as they finally carried him into the jungle. He was running so hard, that he almost collided with Tali as a huge leaf parted to allow him passage.

"Shepard!" Tali exclaimed, voice ragged from tears. She looked at the blood streaming down his arm and finally his pained expression, the implications registering immediately. "You've…you've been shot!"

"N-Never mind that," Shepard winced as his arm throbbed. "We've got to find a place to hide right now!"

"Okay," Tali said as she took Shepard's good arm so that they wouldn't get separated, leading him deeper into the jungle. "Follow me and stay close!"

* * *

><p>Watching the disappearing form of Shepard retreat into the jungle, Grevel gave a disappointed sigh as he got to his feet. He gingerly checked himself for wounds before letting his hands trace up his helmet. His gloved fingers felt ragged metal and soon dampness as he prodded the hole the bullet had created as it had ricocheted off the surface.<p>

The blood was dark on his fingertips and Grevel stared at his hand numbly for half a minute. It had been a long time before someone had come that close to killing him and this was all the proof he needed. He'd become sloppy on this planet, delegated to hunting meek prey for months on end. Shepard's arrival heralded a change, though. He felt…happy. Happy that at last a capable opponent had appeared out of the dismal jungles of Anhur to give him some sport at last. Him _and_ the quarian, this would only add more excitement to his assignment.

Grevel heard pants erupt from behind him and he turned angrily to see a batarian adjust his helmet as he doubled over for breath. He pointed at the fatigued man. "Report. Now."

"One Mako's completely trashed. We've lost seven men in total." The alien eyed the row of bodies behind Grevel. "All hostages dead."

"The hostages were not valuable, you fool," Grevel snarled. "And this encounter was only an ill-timed wake-up call to demonstrate how inept of a fighting force you lot really are." If the batarian's helmet had been removed, Grevel would have seen (and promptly ignored) the man's miffed expression. "Pursuit at this moment is a futile effort. Have everyone load up in what vehicles we have and make for Camp One."

"You're just going to ignore the two that mounted an assault on us? What if they come back?"

"Incompetent as you are," Grevel muttered through gnashing teeth, "You successfully managed to repel the attackers when they had the element of surprise. Their presence is now known and we will be able to mount a proper counterattack if they so choose to strike again."

_And Shepard will come back_, Grevel thought. _He does not seem like one to give up so easily._

Meanwhile the batarian was still coughing up excuses, to Grevel's annoyance. "But we have a Mantis! We can pursue from the air and-"

"Have the past few sorties with the gunships not imparted anything useful on you at all? _Think_, you fucking idiot! The canopy is too dense for thermals to penetrate and even if they could, the trees and uneven terrain offer too much cover for our enemies to utilize. No, the Mantis will remain with the convoy flying support where it can be of more use to us."

The menacing, scratched mask leaned in close enough that Grevel could even spot the helmet twitching uncomfortably. "Unless you want to be another example of what happens to people who disappoint me, I'd suggest that you quit stalling and take me back to Commander Zherl so I can give him a report of the morning's events. _Now_ would be preferable."

_If the imbecilic moron can listen to logic just once, that is. When the hell has Zherl ever listened to me before?_

As the batarian began shouting for his comrades to load up, Grevel marched to the Mako taking the lead in the convoy. He clambered aboard the personnel carrier, making sure to close the door behind him so that he was in complete privacy. Before he shut out the world, he could get a glimpse of the mercenaries setting the field ablaze to discourage further pursuit and to burn the remains of the bodies lying in the field as a fallback for any contingencies set up against them.

A minute later, Grevel felt the Mako rumble and begin to move, the other transports following dutifully with the Mantis flying overhead. Satisfied that he was in relative solitude, he raised his hands up to his neck and simultaneously depressed two catches just above his jawbone. With a series of clicks, the lower metal half of his mask fell away, revealing an electronic voice box that covered his mouth, sealing him away in his own private atmosphere.

Turning the half of the mask over in his hands, he spotted the damaged area easily from where the bullet had hit. Shepard was just as good of a shot as the newsreels made him out to be, he conceded begrudgingly and admiringly.

The scratch from the gunshot was simply bandaged over, the entire process a smooth endeavor. There was no pain to accompany the blood that stained the rags as he cleaned himself off. There had been no pain for years.

There was no way that he would be able to repair the lower half of the mask, though, but he always had a backup for such a possibility. Kicking open a box underneath his seat, he quickly found a spare of the same part, brand new, that he always kept handy for emergencies. In minutes the part was swapped and Grevel opened and closed his mouth to test out the responsiveness of the artificial jaw. It responded well to his real jaw's movements and moved effortlessly as if the joints had been well oiled.

"So, Commander Shepard," he announced to himself, hearing his demonic voice echo around the cramped area. "What makes you so special? What makes you unique?"

Grevel leaned forward, eyes aimlessly sweeping across the cabin. "Shepard, why are you really here and what is it that you want?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Christmas may be over but there's still the New Year that's coming up. Hope you all had a good holiday so far.**_

_**As for the chapter, I hope you find it enjoyable. I'm feeling confident that Grevel is going to be one fun character to write about.**_

_**(Well...I say that as I'm glancing at my outline for all the chapters.)**_

_**Heh...heh...**_


	4. Chapter 4: This Planet Will Kill You

_**A/N: FF decided to eat my first upload of this chapter. Hopefully this time it will work. Sorry about that.**_

* * *

><p>"<em>Rrrrgghhh!<em>" Shepard winced. "Hey, careful with that!"

"Relax," Tali muttered in a no-nonsense tone. "Would you rather let the wound fester? I can list several reasons why that would be a bad idea if you decided upon that route."

The quiet trickling of the stream helpfully contained their words into the little gully they had stumbled into. After fleeing the batarian militia, they had run aimlessly into the jungle for a good half hour, as Tali had led Shepard on several convoluted twists and turns that were performed in order to throw off their trail for any potential pursuers.

Their fleeing had abruptly ended when they had lost their momentum and fell a few feet down into a small stream, the cool water splashing all around them. It was here that they decided that they had put on a good enough head start and Tali immediately began to look at Shepard's wounds.

Sitting on a large boulder while the creek flowed below them, she grabbed a bandage from the small medical kit and held it out so that it would cover the freshly applied medi-gel to Shepard's wound. The blood-stained bacterial wipes lay dispersed on the ground for now, completely useless after three of them had soaked up all of the vital fluids that Shepard had lost running down his arm. Tali gently placed the adhesive edges on Shepard's arm and began smoothing it over the cut so that it would remain isolated.

The gunshot from Grevel had only been a graze but that didn't mean that Shepard couldn't feel it. Rather, it felt like someone had taken a few sheets of paper and had given him the deepest paper cut of his life, the wound stinging whenever he moved his arm. The bullet, thankfully, had not done any permanent damage, everything being merely cosmetic, albeit very painful.

Shepard was watching Tali closely as she was performing all of this for him. He had no doubt in his mind that he was perfectly capable of dressing his own wounds but noted Tali was being very protective of him at the moment. But why was that? She certainly didn't need to be doing all this fussing over him for a simple gunshot, a graze at that. It wasn't like he had never been wounded in the past with her around.

As Tali finished cleaning up, Shepard gingerly flexed his arm, feeling some stiffness there but it was definitely more functional. He prodded the bandage, already starting to feel a difference with the amount of discomfort he was currently receiving.

"Nice job," he said admiringly. "You've had practice with field dressings before?"

"Once or twice," she shrugged modestly. "It's not like you're the only one who's been shot in the past."

"I remember you telling me about that one time on the Citadel-"

"Oh yeah, but I'm referring to the multitude of times _since_ then."

Shepard's brow furrowed in concern. "You mean that you've been shot before under my command and you didn't even tell me?"

"They were just grazes," Tali replied flippantly. "Besides, I've had more than enough experience treating simple wounds like those and it's a _much_ more complicated procedure for me to do so. Have to seal off the area of the enviro-suit, hope the omni-foam layer properly sealed up the breach, fix up any holes too large for the foam to fill and a bunch of other stuff."

Now Shepard laughed, "Ah, so now I know why you brought this up. You just wanted to show off your pain tolerance and the complexity of your situation to make me look like a wimp."

"No!" she gasped but started to reconsider. "Well…maybe. You do make a lot of noise for someone who only just received a flesh wound. Try it next time with a polonium round and see how good you feel afterward."

"Oh yeah?" Shepard retorted. "I'd like to see _you_ take a couple incendiary rounds to your calf and have no immediate way of stifling the flames. That most certainly warranted whatever noises of pain I made that day, even _with_ the painkillers they gave me at the clinic."

He frowned momentarily. "Wait, can you even take painkillers? I mean, with the suits it has to be difficult to get people to forcefully ingest stuff without killing them in extreme situations, right?"

"True, but we've thought of that a long time ago." In response, Tali reached up to her left shoulder and lifted away a corner of her hood. From underneath a hidden flap just on top of the corner on her shoulder, she revealed a set of injector ports, vacuum sealed away from the deadly atmosphere.

"The suits aren't meant to be just _worn_," she explained. "Quarians actually get physical implants in order to properly interface with them. These injector ports are designed for us to get whatever medicine we require into our system without risk very rapidly."

"Handy," Shepard nodded. "I'd guess that would be a useful feature to implement, knowing the hardships your people face. Have you been in a situation when you've been required to use them?"

"Not much in the way of combat-related injuries, but mostly for annual immuno-boosters and vaccines. Stuff like that. Although, going off what you said earlier, there was this one time back on Noveria when I had to use the injectors on the spot because-" Tali shook her head after a few seconds of contemplation. "Well, never mind about that. I've got no chance in comparing any scars against you, I've decided. But I have noticed that many of _your_ injuries could have been lessened a lot more if you had taken more time to properly treat them."

"Hah, you say that like I have done a terrible job at applying my own field dressings."

"Shepard, I happen to know you well enough that one of the last times you got shot, you just slapped some gauze on your ribs and held it there with tape without even putting a single dose of medi-gel on. I would be surprised if that 'scratch' has become less intense over time. You don't really look out enough for yourself, do you?"

"Oh, so _that's_ why you took it upon yourself to look after me. I thought women _liked_ men with scars." He said this with a slight teasing tone in his voice and was intrigued when Tali's voice rose in pitch somewhat defensively.

"It…it's not that," she stammered in a way that Shepard found irresistibly cute for some reason. "I…I…I just can't stand to see you hurt, especially in a place like this where we don't have anyone else to watch our backs."

"Hey," Shepard assured her by softly patting her back, feeling her tense muscles relax through the suit. "Don't worry, Tali. I swear, you do enough of that for the both of us. When I said that we had to put our faith in the other, I didn't think that you would go about it so strongly."

"Well, it's my _job_ now. I might as well carry it out to the best of my ability, right?"

Shepard thoughtfully considered her as they both sat upon the mossy boulder, their feet dangling off the edge together. "You are a woman of many talents, Tali," he declared. "I am truly lucky to have gotten to meet you."

Tali could not control her fierce blush at that, the expression hidden but she shyly tilted her head downward at that. "I…uh…also treasure –no, _appreciate_ everything you've done for me, Shepard. I don't think anyone could ask for a better…_friend_."

"Considering all the luck you've brought me so far, maybe I should take you along with me for every mission. At least, any one you feel like joining me on, that is."

Her fingers were shaking as Tali wrung her hands together nervously. She smiled at his words, however. "I'd…I'd like that, Shepard. But, that sounds a lot like favoritism to me. Isn't that discouraged for someone in our line of work?"

"It _is_ favoritism, Tali, but well-deserved favoritism nonetheless. I mean, you've demonstrated that you are an incredibly courageous and adaptable person, with expertise in several skills that have saved our lives in the span of only a couple days. Hell, I'm not going to be able to get that positive view of you out of my head after all this is done. You're the only one that I've felt that I can be completely honest with all this time and I know that you are way too humble to let any of this go to your head."

Shepard rose to his feet as he said this and walked over to the pack to procure a few bottles of food and water. As he began sorting the tubes out, Tali turned around from her sitting position, after shaking off her initial glow, to follow his movements, a tiny smile upon her.

"Maybe it's a good thing that you said that here rather than on the ship," she mused out loud. "Otherwise, Liara would be jealous."

As what she said finally registered on her, Tali's eyes widened in horror and she almost clasped her hands to her vocabulator as if she could shove her words back into it. Perhaps all that praise had gone to her head after all.

_Idiot, idiot, idiot! _She thought. _What are you doing? This is only going to make you feel worse!_

However, Shepard did not even react like she thought he would, despite the pounding of blood in her ears from fright. He continued to rummage around until he withdrew the final scraps of the animal he had killed the previous night, oddly smiling slightly at her little slip-up.

"Ah, I didn't think that would stay a secret for long," he sighed dramatically. "News _does_ travel fast across the ship."

"Shepard, I'm sorry about that," Tali blurted. "I didn't mean to delve into your personal life, that was out of line and-"

Shepard merely held up a hand and Tali instantly shut her mouth. "You can relax, Tali. I'm not so rigid with that aspect of my personal life. I guess I can understand your curiosity on the subject, but I don't believe that it's what you think. Between you and me, though, Liara…is a good friend, but at the same time, she worries me."

"How so?" Tali asked, her caution slowly dissipating.

"She's…I'm not sure how to explain this properly, but ever since Ilos, she's changed. Not for better or worse, but she's _different_, somehow. It's like whatever we once had, even for a fleeting moment, is slowly drifting apart for some inexplicable reason." He gave a shrug in her direction. "And strangely, I'm fine with that."

Tali's jaw noticeably dropped in her helmet and still hung open even after Shepard placed the bottles of food and water in her hands. "Really?" she practically squeaked, praying that she didn't sound too hopeful.

Meanwhile, Shepard was munching on his food, indifferent. "Well, yeah. Basically the more time I consider it, the more I believe that I've made a mistake. I mean, me and Liara basically share zero interests whatsoever. She's into archeology, I like machinery. She's smart but she complains too much. She-"

He broke off with a shake of his head and a bite into the cold meat from the bag. "Ah, sorry there, Tali. You caught me rambling. If there's anything that no one needs from me, it's complaints on how to manage my social life. That was unprofessional of me and I apologize."

But Tali's hands were so clenched around her knees that she just might crack them if she provided a few more pounds of force. Tali felt elated and apprehensive at the same time as something inside her seemed to open up in relief.

_Shepard doesn't like Liara? But…but what does this mean? Is it just a natural occurrence or is it something else? Does he know? Does he really know?_

Very carefully, she raised her hand until it came into contact with Shepard's shoulder, or at least the armor covering it. Patting it slightly, she closed her eyes, feeling him relax from the contact, in turn making her feel better. "It's fine, Shepard. Don't be embarrassed." She leaned in closer to him, her body almost rubbing against his side. "If it's any consolation," she said quietly, "I never liked Liara much, either."

That brought out a much needed laugh from Shepard, which also made Tali smile. The next few minutes were spent in silence as the two quietly sipped on their water and munched on their food. This would have be the last meal for the day, seeing as there were only three more hours of light left. The drawbacks of an eighteen-hour day.

After they had stuffed their empty bottles back into the pack, Tali slung it over her shoulder once more and joined Shepard in standing on the boulder, his map shining brightly from his omni-tool.

"So, Shepard," she began, wanting to move on from their prior subject. "What do you want to do now?"

He raised a finger to the screen in response, indicating a clear patch of jungle. "That is where we came from…and this is us here." He now looked at a singular dot in the middle of a sea of trees. "We've covered almost two miles since then, but I don't think the mercenaries are searching for us. Rather, they seemed to be looking for other people on this world, people that they knew about. Something about them testing positive or negative for something. They were surprised to see us because they weren't expecting any armed resistance at all. So what the hell is going on?"

"I don't have any idea, Shepard," Tali breathed. "I'm not sure what they're looking for. Positive or negative could refer to a…a virus, a genetic mutation, or even biotic abilities. I bet it has something related with their body systems, but I can't be exactly sure. I did think, however, that the field we observed did not look like where they set up camp. Rather, it seemed like a temporary place for them to halt while they sorted out prisoners."

"Yeah," Shepard agreed as he zoomed through the planet's topography. "And any available maps of the area show a small road headed north from the clearing to where it looks like it terminates on a small cliff just fifteen miles down. It looks like a good place to house such a camp. And where there's a camp, there's bound to be more prisoners."

"And you think we should free them?"

"That or steal a space-worthy transport. We can get these people aid if we call in the cavalry and force these butchers away. But all that depends on us getting over there, closer to the lair of the dragon."

Without waiting for her to reply, Shepard took one final look at the map before hopping off the boulder to land in the stream below. A quick pair of splashes from behind told him that Tali was quickly following suit.

As they trudged along the banks of the creek, Tali quickly walked up to his side. "You do know that if we go back there, that Grevel person will most likely be waiting. He will not hesitate to kill you if he gets the chance."

"I've faced enemies kilometers taller than him before," Shepard dismissed as he pushed aside a set of low hanging branches, careful to hold them up to prevent them from whipping into Tali's face. "When has the promise of one person ever stopped me before?"

Tali chuckled at that. "Only because you're too stubborn to walk away from a battle, you _bosh'tet_. As long as there's a fight to be had, you'll never give up."

Shepard halted in the middle of the stream, the water rushing around his boots and over the swollen banks. A slow smile spread across his face, followed by a bout of laughter. Tali was confused and she spread her arms out wide. "I…I didn't think that anything I said was particularly funny, Shepard."

"No," he laughed. "It wasn't because of that. I was just so struck at how the last sentence you uttered sounded very much like a catchphrase. What was it again? _'As long as there's a fight to be had, I'll never give up?'_"

Tali was mortified, her face heating up like she had spent too much time in the sun. "Oh…_Keelah_. Don't. You. Dare…"

That only made him laugh harder, reveling in her radiant embarrassment. "Don't worry, Tali," he said, his hand lightly brushing against her arm. "As much as your qualifications are in line for my potential speechwriter, I won't bring that up all that often if it embarrasses you."

"It…" she started to explain before dissolving into hopeless giggles. "It just sounds so _corny_ when it…I can't believe out of everything I said, you pick the most cliché line to mock me with."

"I would never mock you!" Shepard playfully defended. "You'd think I would continue to jape and drive you on just to have a laugh at your expense?"

"That certainly sounds like something you'd do," she replied just as facetiously.

"Okay, okay," he held up his hands in surrender. "It will just be an in-joke between us. One friend to another. I won't say it to mock you, but as a way to outline the fact that we laugh at each other's stupid jokes and rib each other in a playful way. It's something close confidants do."

They broke off their conversation for a second as Shepard led them up a small hill away from the stream, in the direction of their ultimate objective. Within moments, they were surrounded by the jungle once more, to wallow in the simmering heat and water-logged sauna. Wet branches bent underfoot and the springy ground smelled healthy, surrounding them all with life.

"Stupid jokes, huh?" Tali said as she swatted at a nearby fern. "I guess, with that being said, I have a multitude to pick from now."

Shepard's face lined with mock concern. "How so?"

Now Tali sidled up to him, nudging him in the ribs with her elbow. "Remember what I said about cliché lines? Shepard, I hate to say this, but you've unintentionally been the source of hundreds of those throughout the entire time I've known you. For starters, the myriad of times you've uttered '_I should go_,' could probably give me a great source of amusement, now that I think about it."

"Tali, you're not going to-"

"Sorry, Shepard," Tali said as she made her voice deeper. "But…_I should go_."

"Oh, come on! That's not that funny. Why is that even considered funny?"

Tali was walking backwards so that she could look at his face at all times, taking occasional glances behind her so that she wouldn't trip over a root. "Maybe it's just your delivery of the countless times you've delivered the line. I'm not sure, exactly. But…I should go."

"Tali…"

"I should go."

Shepard stopped walking, crossing his arms over his chest as he sighed into the jungle. Tali still continued to walk backward, obviously enjoying herself to the fullest as she laughed loudly. Shepard smiled but it was more of a contained smile as he watched Tali continually walk further and further away.

"Are you done now?" he called to her sarcastically.

Tali threw her arms up in the air dramatically. "What, Shepard? I thought that you said it was _okay_ for us to laugh at each other's stupid jokes! I couldn't possibly be hurting your feelings from this!" She stopped walking, eyes widening slightly. "Could I?"

Shepard just shook his head, albeit with a grin. "No, Tali. Just that we're supposed to be heading northwest and your current direction has you firmly situated east." He pointed in a completely different direction from which she was traveling. "Our objective is over _there_, if you recall correctly."

"Oh, I knew that!" she said as she bounded forward through the bushes. "Just got turned around, is all."

"Uh-huh," Shepard replied, deadpan.

"Okay, so I was a bit distracted. But you have to admit that you can be funny sometimes in the most unintentional manner."

"What I admit is that I'm already regretting the words that led to this situation."

"Don't be such a wimp," Tali laughed, even though she normally wouldn't dare speak to her commander this way. Apparently spending a few days with him alone and being forced to act as equals already enacted a change upon her. "Oh, and Shepard?"

"Yes?"

"_I should go._"

"Tali!"

* * *

><p>Grevel didn't even wait for the Mako to stop fully once it had driven inside the hangar. Rather, he didn't even bother to properly open the door. He was so incensed that all it took was a simple kick and the rear doors of the APC flew open, almost smashing a batarian in the face from the sheer force of the blow.<p>

He jumped down and headed into the shade that the enormous room provided, not bothering to alter his direction of travel, making the other Makos wait to park in formation as he proceeded at his own pace. No one dared challenge him, though. Between his chilling mask and propensity for violence, he always left a huge wake wherever he traveled. This was as normal as it could possibly get for him.

The bumpy ride did not cause Grevel's foul mood to dissipate any as they had gone through the jungle. He had continued to simmer as he reflected on the events of the past hour, replaying the entire encounter multiple times in his head. An ambush like that had been completely unexpected, one that he vowed would never happen again. Next time, _he_ would have the upper hand.

_You just lost the upper hand, Shepard. You and Zorah will need to tread lightly from now on. If you have any sense, you won't pursue us._

The old hangar had been abandoned a few years ago, built directly into the side of a small mountain, and its cavernous depths were more than adequate for housing all the necessary material the Na'hesit faction had brought with them. Apparently this was the site of a lucrative ore mine, but its abandonment had been a sudden event, one that sparked panic and confusion for Genex, the company that built the facility in the first place. In their haste to leave the place, they left behind machinery of all types and a fully functioning base of operations. Perfect for what these activists had in mind, but the circumstances were still disconcerting.

The control room was built into the far wall of the cave so that it overlooked the entire hangar. Grevel knew that Zherl would be comfortably cooped up in his perch, uncaring of the woes of the world underneath him. He shouldered aside the pair of guards manning the entrance to the rusty service elevator and yanked the lever down for the top floor, the only floor he could travel to from this side.

The lift brought him straight into the room itself. The windows had been artificially dimmed so that no one could stare in from the outside, casting the entire room in an eerie shadow. A pair of batarian soldiers stood on both sides of the room, more heavily armed than the regular militiamen, gripping their light machine guns tightly as Grevel's presence went silently unannounced. The lone chair straight across from him was turned away from Grevel, making the urge to cough loudly quite appealing, despite its rudeness.

Before he could make a snide maneuver, the chair slowly turned and Commander Zherl smiled at the armored person standing stiffly. At six foot five, the batarian was one of the largest Grevel had ever laid eyes on. It was no question how he got to command such a significant contingent of the Na'hesit faction. Batarians favored only the ones who carried the greatest strength, and Zherl certainly had that in spades. He wore the armor of the faction, but left the sleeves bare, exposing the trunks of his arms and letting the cords of his muscles stand out and bulge. It was a common show of force that left Grevel remarkably unimpressed, having had to endure this act for weeks on end now.

"So, Grevel," Zherl rumbled as he stood. "I heard that your little expedition was quite lively today. May I ask what happened?"

Grevel knew better than to let his expressions betray him, despite knowing that his mask concealed everything anyway. Even so, he wasn't anticipating the fact that Zherl already knew about the day's events as he had been hoping to spin some of the uglier details in his favor. Grevel did not report to Zherl, but he needed to convince the man that their mutual objectives would benefit the other in order to make their working relationship as stable as possible. Diplomacy wasn't Grevel's strong suit so this was going to be a challenge.

As Zherl started to pace, Grevel let his hatred of the man quell any misgivings in a boiling fury. "We managed to locate eleven strays," he said evenly. "But the involvement of the…Alliance disrupted our schedule. We lost all the hostages." He waited a few seconds before he added, "Including one hostage of significant value to _me_."

Zherl did not seem to hear the last part. "Alliance, you say? What makes you so sure?"

_Do the words Commander Shepard ring a bell?_ Grevel wanted to blurt, but he felt better that if Zherl should be kept in the dark for now, as retribution for the endless delays imparted on Grevel through his posturing and stalling. Besides, it would be interesting for the batarian to find out for himself. "One was wearing N7 armor," he said instead. "We could only see two of them and the nature of their guerilla style attacks seems to indicate that they are not properly equipped and outnumbered. I would guess that it was just a random encounter on their part and not planned out entirely."

"Random…" Zherl muttered as he walked over to the side of the room where a krogan war hammer lay against it. "…or purposeful." Tensing his arms, the huge batarian lifted the hammer up where he gave it a few practice swings, hearing it swoosh through the air like he was carving butter.

As strong as the batarian was, Grevel had his doubts about the nature of the hammer coming into Zherl's possession. A natural braggart, Zherl would continually boast about how he managed to wrest the gigantic weapon away from a krogan warlord in the heat of battle, finally ending the struggle when he brought the hammer down on top of the armored alien's head. It was a good story to rouse the troops but Grevel kept on noting slight inconsistencies with his story every time he recanted it. Either it was undergoing slight changes to make it sound more heroic, or Zherl never was in a battle with a krogan and merely found the hammer while on a raid or had bought it at auction. Grevel suspected the latter but he didn't have any definitive proof to back up his claim.

Gripping the hammer tightly, Zherl turned back to Grevel. "This is most unfortunate. My leaders were quite adamant that our little coup would go on unnoticed by anyone until we had successfully wrested control of the planet back to the Na'hesit. How could the Alliance have found out?"

"When you destroyed the quantum transmitters," Grevel hypothesized, "there was still a risk that there were outgoing messages between the planet and distant sources that would inevitably become interrupted. Perhaps a small task force was sent in to ascertain the situation of the planet going dark, thereby stumbling across your little operation that you have going. But that isn't the most important thing at the moment."

"Oh? Enlighten me."

Grevel stepped forward. "Now that there are Alliance soldiers that have made planetfall, this adds significant risk to my agenda. My employer is getting impatient with the lack of progress made towards collecting humans with the mutagen in their bloodstream. You are out here because we know that there is a settlement of the humans somewhere in this jungle, but they continue to elude us. Out of the eighty units requested, you've managed to find only thirty-five, with fourteen of them getting killed by your troops out in the compound, right under your command!" He pointed at the small stretch of land outside, where rows of cages were neatly organized in a row, their occupants too far away for anyone in the room to discern.

Zherl did not seem fazed by the accusation. "Your employer has waited all this time. He can wait a little longer."

"That is unacceptable to me. Our clients will not wait indefinitely and they are a habitually enigmatic bunch. In order to maintain business with them, it is _crucial_ that I speed along their shipment at the earliest opportunity lest we lose their business permanently. That, in turn, makes me look bad and will affect you just as harshly."

_By which I mean that I'll cave your head in if that outcome becomes reality._

"So why not collect them yourself?" Zherl shrugged. "You seem disgruntled at our progress so far and you also appear to have an idea of how to run things, given your interest. I gave you _de facto_ command of specific operations at my disposal but it seems like you haven't been utilizing them to your ability and you're only shifting the blame on _my_ end. Does it not seem like that, Grevel?"

Grevel willed himself not to sigh or hit anyone within close range. "That was exactly the purpose of why I went out today, to oversee how your soldiers go about procuring the specific hostages I've been requesting. But despite my efforts, a hostage containing the mutagen was killed, which expressly goes against my client's wishes of transporting them alive. My employer could not spare the numbers in order to see that this operation runs as smoothly as possible which is why he sent me. However, I am of a mood to contact him and have him ship a contingent of troops to wrest control away from you. But if I do that, then my reputation is tarnished and I will have lost any goodwill with my employer."

Zherl gave a nasty smile, broken teeth and all. "Then it seems like you're _stuck_ with me, Grevel. It's an interesting situation we face: your employer provides the funds to keep our coup running, and you require my forces in order to obtain the product you seek."

"That is, if your soldiers could stop _killing_ the product, things would proceed far more smoothly."

"And maybe if you would not kill my _soldiers_, I could be more inclined to agree."

Grevel's eyes narrowed, his teeth gnashing together as he silently fumed. The indignant attitude of this batarian! This would be the fifth time in a week that he would fantasize about killing him. It would be wonderful to hear his spine crack loudly in the silent room, to feel his bones being ground to dust under his hands, to finally be rid of this pathetic fool once and for all. But he simply stood and counted to ten in his head, filtering out any unpleasant responses before proceeding.

"Your soldiers expressly disregarded the parameters I had set in place. They were not repentant and behaved in an inappropriate manner while a pack of varren tore a valuable hostage to pieces. Their attitude at the time could not be swayed by words alone and so I took it upon myself to make a point at how serious I was."

"You made a point by practically beheading a perfectly functional trooper?"

"If you think you're going to get an apology from me, Zherl, you're sadly mistaken. I plan on going out there more often, now that I'm familiar with this faction's methodology, and I _will_ exercise my new standard of conduct among your soldiers in order to get the job done."

Zherl stood still for a long moment before chuckling in a low voice. He set the war hammer back down in its original position and started stalking closer to Grevel. Leaning down, he said in a low voice, "You're playing a very dangerous game. I'm not an enemy you want to have, Grevel."

_Nor am I,_ Grevel thought with a smile. _But you've already snapped my patience. You've tested my limits until I broke. I am prepared to do the same to you._

"Noted, Zherl," Grevel said evenly. With a smirk, Zherl turned around, confident that business was concluded before Grevel spoke again. "Does that mean you're going to withdraw your guards around the confinement area where my hostages are being held?"

"Now why would I do that?" Zherl asked in disbelief, facing Grevel once more.

"If you want me out of here as quick as possible, you have to lessen the chance of your guards lapsing back into their preferred methods of treating their prisoners. In the last week, your guards have beaten three to death out of the need for…entertainment, while another incident saw a woman raped to death in her cage. I'm not telling you to do that for the other hostages you have collected, but I would prefer if my own could remain relatively unspoiled. I can't be expected to turn in a shipment full of _corpses_, can I?"

"I'll…consider your request," Zherl shrugged before returning to his chair. Grevel took that as a sign that their little conversation had ended. It was fine by Grevel, for he had said what he had wanted to say anyway.

He stomped back over to the elevator, pushing aside another guard who was barely standing in his way. Yanking the lever down so hard that the metal bent, the lift got him quickly out of the room and back into the wide expanse of the hangar. The light from outside was interfering with his vision, but his optics did an admirable job in filtering out the excess illumination.

_Damn Zherl! Damn him and his entire band! Any more of this and I'll just have to kill the man out of sheer aggravation. Either that, or I could make a case to have his faction's entire funding mysteriously withdrawn. I would like to see his pathetic face after that._

The mask revealed nothing to anyone. It was a blank face, a terrifying face, but inside was a multitude of expressions, mainly disgust at the moment. Grevel needed the mask more than anyone could ever know. It contained ideas, a keen mind, but also pain and fear. Enough for a lifetime. It gave Grevel the solitude he needed when he was at his angriest, a medium for his thoughts to dissipate harmlessly. He hated to wear it almost as much as he loved it.

Knowing that there wouldn't be another expedition until the morning, Grevel walked over to the security station and sat down at an empty terminal. He liked to watch the feeds from all the corners of the compound, even though Zherl had technicians hired to specifically perform that job. Grevel just enjoyed having eyes everywhere as it made him feel a little more intrusive, a little more powerful. Here, he could be a god of whispers.

To get his mind off the disastrous meeting with Zherl, his thoughts turned back to the morning, specifically replaying the expression of shock Shepard had demonstrated when he had successfully shot him. The familiar bucking of the pistol and watching the human stumble had disproved many of the myths that the troopers talked about in the shadowy corners. Spectres were not untouchable after all.

The image of Tali'Zorah wheeling back into the jungle after he opened fire on her also brought him some amusement. From the feeds, he remembered the lithe quarian that Shepard had recruited for his top-secret assignment. It was fair to say that she was currently the most famous quarian in the galaxy at the moment, perhaps the best example of what her people were worth since the Morning War. She would definitely be a wild card, Grevel mused. Shepard was a known quantity, but Tali would be interesting to observe more closely. He would have to watch out for her on the battlefield.

_The Hero of the Citadel and his little quarian crewmember. Both not as impressive as the vids make out, unfortunately. But maybe I just caught the both of them off their game, who knows? What my employer would give to get his hands on at least one of them. Perhaps I could use you to my advantage, Shepard. What fun this will be._

As Grevel longed to imagine what it would be like to clash with the human in a glorious battle as he sat in front of the shining screens, for some reason he could only think of fire and the searing screeches of pain.

And then he began to shake.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Shepard?"<p>

"What is it?"

"_I should go_."

Shepard groaned and covered his face with his hands while Tali laughed beside him. The overall setting had not changed much, with the foliage still being thick and the inhabitants being even thicker. If Shepard had not been looking at his map the whole time, he could have sworn they were traveling in circles for the entire landscape remained the same.

"I thought you had tired of that about a mile ago," he said through his fingers.

Tali nudged him playfully. "You do realize that I'm only saying it because you react so funnily each time, right?"

"You're going to have to explain to me why you happen to think that that phrase is so funny eventually. For that matter, why am I even getting bothered by this if _I _can't figure it out?"

Tali walked in front of him, this time reaching for his hands. Curious, he lifted them up and she held them, her three digits gently squeezing his five. "Hey, if it's bothering you, I can stop, Shepard. I mean it, if you think I've been teasing you…"

He interrupted her with a shake of his head, finding enjoyment in holding her hands back. "It's fine, Tali. No need to be worried about it. I know you're just trying to lighten the mood and I'm a little uptight after…well, it's through no fault of your own."

"Okay, Shepard," she said but she still had a little hitch in her step.

"But, can that be the limit for today? We're almost out of light in an hour and we need to find someplace to make camp, so limiting any distractions would be preferable right about now."

"Sure," Tali said as she let go of Shepard's hands. "You want to find another tree for us to take shelter under for the night?"

"Nah," Shepard said as he scanned the treetops. "At least not yet. We can trek a little further and see if there is a better place that offers more natural shelter-"

A howl cut him off, an alarming noise coming from behind them. Tali jumped about a meter in the air and Shepard whirled around with his arm automatically pushing Tali back in a protective gesture. He frantically searched through the dense undergrowth before a red blur jumped down from a thick tree branch to land upon the springy ground with a thump.

The animal was about the size of a leopard, but with bright red hair covering it. The Anhurian lynx lifted its snub-nosed head up, its triangular ears rotating in place to perceive potential competition from other predators nearby. The milk-white eyes glistened as its slit pupils gradually widened in response to it about to pounce. In its mouth, a set of twelve gleaming white fangs were revealed as the lynx prepared to strike for the neck.

There was no time for anyone to grab for their weapons. "Run, Tali!" Shepard roared and the two abruptly wheeled about, the screaming of the wild animal behind them as followed in hot pursuit.

Tali was sure that she had never run so fast, or at least so hard in her life before. Leaves and branches smacked at her visor, causing her to involuntarily flinch with each impact. Her breath became labored as she frantically fought to put one foot in front of the other in quick succession. Behind her, she could hear Shepard huffing as he tried to match her pace while lugging all the weaponry and armor at the same time. Sweat was starting to pour down her face, stifling her with its heat.

Behind them both, the lynx ran on, frustrated that its quarry was escaping so handily. Every time it would close, they would break in a different direction, causing the animal to skid in place and use up more energy in accelerating to match the set pace again. It became more and more angered the longer it was thwarted. The next time they would try that maneuver again, things would be different.

A branch scratched at Shepard's face, causing him to make a noise of pain as his skin opened up slightly. The cut stung, but Shepard's legs were starting to tense badly. He wouldn't be able to keep up such sustained sprinting for long. But it was the notion of stopping and meeting the inevitable that caused him to continue, no matter how much his body protested. He was focusing too much on his discomfort that he wasn't looking where he was going.

As Tali turned right, Shepard looked up too late in time to react. Throwing up his hands just in time, he plowed on through a thorny bush and tripped on its roots, falling out on the other side. Quickly, he picked himself up but felt something odd lodged in his arm. Turning his elbow over, he blinked slowly as a thorn the size of a toothpick lay wedged between his plating and through his bodysuit. Pulling it out, he already knew what it was the second he laid eyes on it, knowing what dangers the toxins on the thorn contained.

The long red nashi thorn gleamed with blood on the tip and Shepard only had a moment to sigh in regret before he heard the roar of the lynx, dangerously close. He quickly put the thorn in a side pocket and ran down a nearby hill, rejoining Tali in the chase.

Shepard knew that he had to let Tali know as soon as possible what had just happened but the reality was rather complicated when both of them had a three-hundred pound wildcat chasing after them. He just hoped the toxin wouldn't kick in soon to make him easy prey.

Tali wheeled left, away from a thick tree, and Shepard dutifully followed, only to find himself on the ground again, the lynx over him as it had successfully pounced. The animal had been anticipating a sudden movement once it had figured out the pattern to these creatures. It had no way to tell which direction they would abruptly turn in but when it saw the purplish one go to the left, it knew that it would have to alter his trajectory somewhat, resulting in a successful strike.

"_John!_" Tali shrieked as she saw the animal fully atop the human.

With the lynx's hot, rank breath in his face, Shepard roared as the animal got his arm in its jaws and bit down hard. The teeth, thankfully, met the armor plating and the lynx's teeth merely grated over the hard surface and it eventually gave up trying to gnaw on the arm, seemingly disappointed in its catch.

Sensing its hesitation, Shepard used his other arm to firmly deck the lynx in the face with an armored gauntlet. It was a glancing blow, but the big cat got the message. The animal started to slink away but jolted as the ground exploded near its feet, sending woodchips flying.

Tali had gotten her pistol out and leveled off a shot but had missed. Shepard, uninjured, was now up on his feet, not looking behind him at all.

"Go, go! Keep running!"

Obeying, she turned and ran in the direction he was waving, the both of them crashing through the brush. They didn't realize that the lynx had abandoned pursuit, preferring to roost in a tree until something more suitable stumbled along. The animal had learned the hard way that its only attempt to consume Shepard would quickly ended in annoyance when it found that its teeth couldn't penetrate the armor that the fleshy creature was so wreathed in. Once the pink thing had punched it in the face, its mind was made up. Even if it did manage to kill the human, it very well couldn't eat it, not with all that hard stuff covering it. Back in the tree, the lynx began to nurse its wounds tenderly while Shepard and Tali continued to run, oblivious to their current safety.

Not realizing that they were being followed anymore, they spent another half a minute running through the wet jungle. However, Tali soon noticed that the trees were starting to thin again and a continuous roar was increasing in volume, coming from the _front_ this time. Against her better nature, she slowed down until she burst out of the trees but halted all movement immediately at that point.

The roaring was coming from a gigantic waterfall, towering at least four stories down into a small lagoon. The cliff upon where they were standing jutted over the lagoon, the spray from the falls being blown in their faces. The water frothed and churned at the lip and settled into a pool at the bottom. It was a breathtaking sight, one that Tali had never seen in all its grandeur before.

Shepard soon joined her on the tiny cliff, wheezing like he had just run a marathon. As Tali began to catch her breath, she noticed that something was wrong very quickly. Shepard was shaking terribly and his eyes were puffy and red-rimmed. It looked like he had caught a sickness in the last ten minutes for Tali did not remember him complaining of feeling bad at all. He looked more gaunt, like he really was deathly ill.

His knees buckled and his eyes struggled to focus as he turned in her direction. "Tali…I…" he mumbled before his legs finally gave and he toppled head-first into the abyss, falling towards the lagoon.

She stared at the spot he had just occupied, unwilling to accept what had happened before a distant splash came to her ears. Tali then threw herself to the edge of the cliff, hands gripping at the edge as she screamed, "_SHEPARD!_"

From her position, she could see Shepard floating face-up down in the lagoon, arms splayed out, not moving. The displacement mechanisms in his armor would not keep him afloat for long and Tali somehow knew what to do next, never mind the fact that it was completely insane.

Without hesitation, she backed up a little before she jumped off the cliff after him. There was a moment of exhilaration as everything whirled by her in a gigantic blur. There was the stomach-churning sensation of free-fall and the slight notion that she could be crushed to death if she landed wrong. Her fears were all pushed aside as she brought her legs together and tucked her arms in instinctively, wanting to limit any possibility of a broken limb.

There was a hard impact, a bubbling noise, and finally a quiet gurgle. Finding the silence eerie, Tali opened her eyes to see if she was still alive. The world under the water floated around her, bubbles rising from her splash into the pool. The water was murky and churned constantly from the waterfall only feet away, limiting her visibility under the surface. Tali stared at this unfamiliar place with wonder until she looked up and spotted Shepard floating above her, near the edge.

Tali didn't know how to swim, but her enviro-suit was extremely effective in isolating her in such a water-heavy environment. Noting that the liquid made her movements more sluggish, she pushed off with her feet on the sandy floor, watching the silt puff away as her movements created shockwaves throughout the medium. As she walked on the floor slowly, Tali felt that time was slowing down with her as her hands took forever to rise, to reach out for the human floating above. In a few precious seconds, she reached Shepard, who was miraculously on his back and still lucid, uninjured from the fall.

Bursting out of the water, Tali did not care that she was completely soaked, (at least her suit was) but was more concerned with the welfare of Shepard that she quickly dragged him to shore, using all of her strength to haul the human up onto the bank. The spray from the waterfall was worse here, it raged like a hurricane, misting everything with condensation. Her visor kept on getting water beaded on it, requiring her to wipe it in intermittent intervals so that she could examine Shepard. It was a miracle that he had landed in just the right way that he didn't break anything from his fall, otherwise things would be a lot worse. But when she put a hand on his forehead, she was shocked to feel that, even through her suit, his skin was burning up from an intense fever.

Blinking water from his eyes, Shepard struggled to speak as he continued to tremble. "Ta…li? What the…what the hell happened?"

Tali was completely nonplussed, overwhelmed by the events of the day. "What the hell happened? You mean you don't remember that you fell off a cliff into a small lake? What the hell happened to _you_, Shepard?"

"Oh…yeah," he grimaced. "I thought I had more time…"

"Time for _what?_" Tali yelled, water spraying everywhere as she waved her arms about.

"Got pricked…by that toxic bush. Sorry I…didn't tell you…sooner. Thought I had…more time…than I did."

Tali gasped, her hand automatically coming up to cover where her mouth was. "Keelah, Shepard! We need to get you somewhere dry." Looking up from him, Tali saw that up the bank was a little indentation in the wall surrounding the cove. It would be easy to get to and it was sheltered by boulders, offering protection from the elements. It would be more ideal that standing calf deep in this damned water, anyhow.

"Shepard," Tali breathed, thankful that salvation lay feet away. "Can you walk? It won't be hard, I promise you. Please, just tell me that you can walk! I won't be able to carry you!"

"I…can walk. For a…moment," Shepard coughed, his nose starting to become runny. He raised an arm and Tali quickly took it over her shoulder, grunting as a lot of Shepard's weight was forced onto her. Shepard soon stumbled to his feet and they trudged forward, with nothing but the little alcove in sight.

As a testament to his strength, Shepard did not falter once during the journey up the hill but as soon as they reached the flat ground, he collapsed, knowing that he had reached his destination. Tali also fell to her knees, gasping from the exertion of hauling a good portion of the heavy human.

"Tali…"

"Yes, Shepard?"

Adjusting himself into a sitting position, he pointed weakly at the pack still slung over Tali. "Antidote…in the pack…"

Tali's gaze shot to the survival pack, soaked from the lagoon but still attached to her nonetheless. She could have cried in happiness for Shepard reminding her of that valuable resource. She quickly threw her hands into the pack, frantically searching for the item that could save Shepard's life.

While that was going on, Shepard started to calmly remove the top portions of his armor. His world had taken on a haze of heat and red, but he still managed to calmly unclasp the plating covering his torso and slide the armor off his arms, freeing him from the stiff confinement and making him more comfortable.

Tali, however, was the complete opposite of calm as she began throwing out items that were of no use to her right now from the pack, becoming more and more agitated with every second wasted.

"Where is it?" she kept saying over and over, close to tears. "Where is it? Damn. Damn it! _Damn it!_ Shepard, I can't-"

"Side pocket," he breathed. "Try the…side pocket."

Tali's hands nearly ripped open the pocket in her haste. She turned over the pack and out spilled a tiny preloaded set of three syringes. The label on the pack said "Uni-Syn" and Tali did not read any more after that.

"Shepard…are these…?" She waved the set frantically until Shepard could properly focus on them.

"Does it contain…physostigmine?" he replied, referring to a common medicine effective at treating many illnesses caused from plants.

"Physo…physostig…_yes!_ Yes, it does!" Quickly opening it, she pried out one of the preloaded syringes and flicked it a couple of times with her fingers, just like she saw the medics do back on the flotilla, to get rid of any air bubbles. There was nothing to sterilize the syringe with, but that didn't even cross Tali's mind as she quickly slid over to Shepard and gingerly folded his bodysuit over at the wrist so that she could find a vein.

Deftly, Tali inserted the tip of the needle into Shepard's skin, hearing him grunt slightly from the intrusion. She depressed the plunger and did not move a muscle until the entire antidote had been administered to Shepard, watching intently for any change in his demeanor, any at all. Just a sign that everything was going to be all right.

Impatient, Tali went back to the pack and grabbed a food and water tube and began to prepare them for consumption. She sat next to Shepard and brought the water to his lips, speaking softly in spite of the loud waterfall nearby.

"Shepard, drink this. You have to drink something."

As she gently tipped the bottle up for him as he was too dazed from the plant's toxins, Tali watched as Shepard drank like he was dying of thirst, the entire bottle becoming drained in less than half a minute.

"Good, Shepard. Very good!" Tali now brought the tube of levo nutrient paste, with the portable straw already folded out, up to replace the water tube. "I'm going to look after _you_ now. Eat something, Shepard. You have to keep up your strength."

Shepard wrapped his lips around the straw and took a healthy swig of the mush inside. After swallowing, he shuddered like he had taken a large swallow of alcohol that had burned his throat.

Making a face, he whispered, "Not much…taste…"

"I know, Shepard. I know. But you have to eat. Please, Shepard…_eat_." Her eyes were filling up with tears, to which she angrily closed her eyes, furious at her loss of control. "I'm not going to sit here and watch you _die_, Shepard. Please eat…for _me_, Shepard."

Through his clammy skin, Shepard miraculously _smiled_. "I could never…bring it in myself…to disappoint you, Tali."

Returning his smile, Tali stroked Shepard's forehead as she brought the tube back up to his mouth again. "You've never disappointed me, Shepard. Not for a moment."

Obediently, Shepard finished off the nutrient paste, his face more relaxed after doing so. Content with where he was at, ignoring his sickness, his eyes began to droop sleepily and within minutes, he was resting peacefully.

Tali continued to watch him, finding the strength to relax at seeing Shepard get a respite from his pain. Shuffling so that she was facing the lagoon as she sat, she read the contents of the syringe box that she had put into Shepard's body, curious at what their properties were.

She scanned the list of ingredients, most of them too wordy for her to comprehend as they had no common classifications. Tali was considering using her omni-tool to look up some of them out of her natural curiosity when Shepard began turning in his sleep, groaning as he moved.

Alarmed, Tali moved over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder to steady him and found that his body was shaking badly again. His eyelids were fluttering; he was in the space between awake and asleep. His behavior was starting to scare Tali, who was becoming panicked at seeing Shepard so helpless.

"J-John?" she asked meekly, praying that his fit would stop.

"C-Cold…" came the equally quiet reply from him. "I'm…I'm cold…"

Tali knew there were no blankets in her ever trusty pack for this sort of use, but she did know of one other solution. Lying down next to Shepard, she scooted over until both their bodies were touching, at least his unarmored upper half and her enviro-suit against the other. Tali had to throw modesty out the window as she wrapped her arms around Shepard's chest, pressing herself against his back as she transferred whatever warmth she could onto him.

In another circumstance, Tali would have been really nervous if she were to try this, but with Shepard's life in the balance, she felt compelled to hold him out of necessity. Sure, she enjoyed the feel of his muscular body against her own nimble frame, but she wasn't concentrating on that right now. What she was currently paying attention was the fact that as soon as she laid against him in her hug, his shaking immediately began to subside, reassuring her that her snap decision was doing the trick.

Hearing him sigh, Tali couldn't help herself as she moved her head to fit in the crook where his neck met his back, savoring the feel. She wondered if Shepard was even coherent, if he liked this as strongly as she did.

If it weren't for this mask in the way, she could have kissed him to assure him that everything would be all right. Initially it sounded inappropriate, but what exactly could qualify as appropriate when everything had been so thoroughly turned upside-down? Would Shepard even appreciate her desire to even kiss him anyway?

"Tali?" Shepard whispered from his bleariness, on the edge of sleep once more.

"Shhh," she soothed, closing her eyes as her fingers lightly began to stroke his chest. "Sleep, John. Just sleep. Nothing will hurt you tonight, I promise you."

"In a minute," he yawned. "Just wanted you…to know…something."

Tali lifted her head up slightly, intrigued at what Shepard felt was so important to say.

With a labored breath, he continued, "I didn't listen…to what everyone else said. I always thought…that you looked nice. I only thought…you should know. Never saw…a mask, Tali…"

The tears could not be halted as they began to run down her face. She closed her eyes regretfully, her breathing becoming more and more halted. Now Tali was starting to tremble against Shepard as he muttered his lunacy into the open air, silently crying for her rotten luck.

_That's what it has to be,_ she reasoned. _Lunacy. He's hallucinating from that plant. There's no reason why he would…why he would like me like that. Why…why would he?_

As Tali kept her sobs to herself, Shepard slipped off peacefully into sleep again. She still held onto him, though, as she did not plan to let go anytime soon. As she tightened her grip on the sleeping Shepard, Tali's thoughts churned and distorted, clashing with one another as she considered words and conditions.

Before she joined him in sleep, Tali wondered if Shepard, altruistic as he was, could find it in himself to love a lowly quarian.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Currently, I still have a couple more hours until New Year's for me so it's still technically a New Year's present. Technically.**_

_**This chapter certainly blew up a lot more so than I originally reckoned. Maybe it's time I take a break for a day or two and regain my sanity.**_

_**Anyhow, I've got some interesting things planned for the upcoming chapters so I'd encourage you to stick around. All part of a day's work (so to speak).**_


	5. Chapter 5: If At First You Don't Succeed

_**A/N: It was not a wise idea to post a chapter on the eve of the New Year, but hopefully that problem has been sorted by now. If chapter 4 still remains a bit wonky, let me know.**_

* * *

><p>She had managed to tune the sound of the nearby waterfall out long ago, a feat by no stretch of the means to be sure, considering her natural inclination as a light sleeper. The shade provided by the overhanging rock prevented the morning sun from directly hitting her eyes, giving her a little more time to relax, given the circumstances.<p>

What did wake Tali up was when she naturally curled up a little as her deep sleep cycle ended. Her arms folded inward, finding nothing wrapped around them anymore.

With a start, Tali sat up, finding herself alone in the small rock alcove. She looked at the unoccupied spot next to her and saw that was empty, Shepard completely gone from her sight as well as her warm embrace. The survival pack was still there, and even the parts of his armor that he had removed before he had transitioned into a hazy rest the night before. Nothing was missing, apart from Shepard himself. Quickly, she began to panic, wondering if she had lost him during the night and that she did not even notice.

"Shepard?" she said quietly, timidly, before she began to let fear raise her voice.

"Shepard?" Still no answer. "_Shepard!_"

A nearby splash from the small pool made her jump, sending small stones scattering down the slight slope towards the water. From behind a large rock, the human walked up to her, a worried look on his face. His legs were still in his armor and the top half of his bodysuit was still in place but his head was dripping with water, his breath misting in the steamy air.

Seeing that Tali was agitated, he quickly jogged up and sat down next to her, grabbing one of her hands to steady her. "What is it, Tali? What's wrong?"

Her breathing still compromised, Tali burst out a sigh of relief. "You bastard, Shepard! Don't scare me like that! I thought you had wandered off or had gotten kidnapped or…I don't know…"

He squeezed her hand harder. "I was just dousing myself off in the water," he told her, which explained why his head was soaking wet at least. "I didn't think that you would wake in the time that I was gone, Tali. I'm sorry if I frightened you."

Now that she was relaxing a little bit more, Tali noted that Shepard looked much healthier than last night, thankfully. For one, the redness around his eyes had disappeared and he was able to form words a lot easier. Add to the fact that he seemed to recover his full range of motor controls and he seemed to be practically healed.

But Tali still wanted to confirm that fact for herself. "It…it's fine, Shepard. But how are _you_ feeling? You were pretty bad there for a while. Do you still feel sick?"

Shepard smiled and patted her back in approval. "Thanks to your efforts, Tali, I'm alive and well. Once again, I'm astounded at how your ingenuity and quick thinking saved my life yesterday. If you were an Alliance soldier I'd be insane not to promote you on the spot."

Tali blushed fiercely, her thoughts creeping back to last night. "Shepard, that's nice of you to say but I think you'd be surprised at what anyone under your command would do for you."

"Well, I certainly couldn't have anticipated that anyone would jump off of a cliff in order to get me to safety would have been one of those possibilities." He wrapped his two strong hands around one of her own nimble hands. "Don't sell yourself short again, Tali. You went above what I could ask of anyone back there. You rescued me several times over and I will not forget it."

Tali giggled. "So does that mean that we're even from you rescuing _me_ in the Wards?"

"Honestly, it might mean that I owe you if you want to put it like that. All I did was shoot a couple guys trying to attack you. _You_ pulled me out of a lake, gave me food, water, and medicine, and even kept me warm during the night." He paused for a second as he felt Tali tense up at the last part. "I probably should apologize for you having to do that, Tali. I know that-"

"You said that you were cold," Tali brushed off before Shepard's embarrassment overpowered him. "I did the only thing that I thought would work. And I was only kidding about you owing me, you know that, right?"

Even though she understood the unprofessionalism at the close body contact her heat transferring method had entailed, Tali did not feel any real reason to regard what happened with embarrassment. Rather, she had secretly enjoyed the sensation of Shepard against her, just the fact that she was able to feel his blazing hot body, even through her suit. Improper though it might have been, Tali felt no regrets because she knew that her act, although having intimate connotations, could have potentially saved Shepard's life.

Nodding admiringly, Shepard gave her a warm smile. "It did the trick, then. I don't think I could have done it any better."

The smirk hid Shepard's own reservations, making an effort to mask them so that he wouldn't betray how he really felt. Shepard was actually very touched at Tali's care, completely moved at her devotion to keep him safe. She could have fashioned a makeshift blanket out of leaves and twigs to keep him warm but she had done the tried and true method of huddling for warmth instead. Granted, her enviro-suit had limited the amount of heat he was able to receive but it was the action behind it that softened him. Was it instinct behind the act or was it a valuable opportunity that she so seized? All he could see now was the worry and concern for him that went behind every action she made.

This went beyond anything that ordinarily befitted anything between an officer and a subordinate. Shepard now knew that Tali would do anything for him, just as he would do anything for her.

Basking from his praise, Tali pried her hand out of his grip and turned her body so that she could look at Shepard more closely. "You sure you're okay? No dizziness, nausea, or anything?"

"Nothing except a mild headache," he shrugged, mentally ticking off details of his hypothesis. "The plant toxins don't last for a very long time, despite how debilitating they are. As it is, I'd say that I'm fine overall."

"Shepard," Tali laughed but quickly turned serious, "I remember that I asked you that same question after all of the events on the Citadel and you gave me the same answer you did just now. Of course, that was _after_ you had gotten shot three times and nearly crushed by Sovereign's debris. Are you absolutely sure that you're '_fine?_'"

"I think that getting pricked by a little plant is not the same thing as what happened months ago. But as it stands, I'm as fine as I could be on this planet, given the lack of proper medical resources. Lucky that you happened to find a universal antidote in that pack there."

Tali now took out the little set from the pack, looking at it before handing it to Shepard. "It's lucky that this pack happened to _have_ a universal antidote. What do you think would have happened if we didn't have these on us?"

Shepard looked down at the two remaining syringes left in the set, watching the light glint off the clear glass. He took out one of them and made sure that it was intact before stowing it in a spare clip canister attached to his belt. As he did that, his eyes flashed to the canister next to it, the one that still held the thorn he was pricked with. He wasn't sure why he had brought it along, especially after all the trouble it caused him. Perhaps it would serve as a souvenir, a reminder of how close he came to death on this planet. Or maybe it was just craziness that had spurred him to take it along. Either way, he would just have to be careful not to stick his fingers into the wrong place lest he go through this entire sequence one more time. And once was enough for anybody.

"I probably don't want to know," he finally responded, patting the place where the syringe now resided at his side. "But I think it will be a good idea if I have one close by just so that if we run into this problem again, we can deal with it a little more calmly than last time."

Tali liked the idea, nodding. "And hopefully there won't be any cliffs for me to jump off of again."

Shepard chuckled, shaking his head. "I still can't believe you even did that. I mean, I'm staggered that I got away from that fall relatively injury-free but I would have expected you to find a safer route down. Can you even _swim_, for that matter?"

"Never tried," she shrugged. "And I don't think I did enough thinking for me to consider the ramifications of what I was about to do. You could have drowned in the time that I would be struggling to get down there. Jumping seemed to be the quickest route."

"You are unbelievable. Is your suit even equipped for underwater?"

"Well," she considered, "they keep us effectively isolated in our own particular environment, so it makes sense that they could keep us alive while submerged. Although, they never did any tests on these suits with water in mind back on the flotilla, I admit. I guess our ancestors figured we would stay well away from any fluids, seeing that a liquid environment is inherently more dangerous."

"What did it feel like? To be underwater, I mean. I'm just curious, seeing as it was your first time trying such a thing."

Tali thought for a moment, trying to recall one specific moment in a series of hectic ones. "Everything was…slow. I've never been in such a dense medium before and I didn't even think to consider how badly my movements might be affected. And, even through my suit, I could feel the water pressing on me. It was cold, like being on an ice planet but with a greater pressure difference."

She blinked before staring at Shepard again, her eyes wide and hungry. "I've read that some humans actually _enjoy_ being in the water, as in swimming in it. Does it really make much of a difference, without being in a suit?"

"Only with the right attitude," Shepard said. "The water can be a source of leisure, but it is also dangerous as well. Were you…interested in feeling what it's like without the suit?"

"I'm _always_ interested in imagining what things feel like without this suit in the way," she admitted sourly. "Can you imagine being contained in such a thing for your entire life, hidden from even the ones you care about and unable to do anything because you're too vulnerable, too helpless?"

"No," Shepard said quietly. "I don't think I could ever imagine such a sensation, truthfully. I'd guess it would be rude of me to make comparisons otherwise."

Watching Shepard closely, Tali had been looking for tells, for signs that whatever notions she had in place had been futile all along. His voice from the night before had been playing on repeat for the past hour, namely the last thing he said before he finally fell asleep. Tali was a very emotional woman and she was worried that the words had been brought along by a nasty toxin, but the more she sat speaking with him, the more she was convinced that it was not a flight of fantasy. Just the way he empathized, how he constantly put himself in her shoes, asking if she was all right, all registered on her.

Something clicked inside her, one layer of inhibitions snapping away. Her temperature rose a few degrees and her breathing deepened. Watching him understand, _knowing_ that he understood, all fell into place like the final pieces of a puzzle. I was like he cared about her very deeply, in fact.

Tali clutched at him, her eyes shining brightly. "It _wouldn't_ be rude, Shepard. Rather the opposite."

"How so?" Shepard asked, almost recoiling in surprise from Tali's aggressive touch but staying put all the same. There was a slight thrill from doing so, a little sense that something was not right about this.

"You're the only one who has gotten me closer to actually _feeling_ something," she breathed heavily. "I don't know anyone else that well, aside from quarians, who are used to sensing things in such a way." Her hands squeezed his arm. "And it's just…I don't know, but the way you describe things to me, it makes me feel as if I'm there with you, and that I'm able to feel as _you_ feel, Shepard."

Tali's fingers had unconsciously intertwined themselves in Shepard's hand as they came in contact again. His mouth had suddenly gone dry while her earnest and unflinching gaze pierced them as they sat in the sheltered area, with nothing but the waterfall to listen to.

Before he could reply, Tali yawned and unexpectedly leaned her body so that Shepard's shoulder was propping her up. Her head lolled to the side slightly and he could hear a quiet hum erupt from her. If Shepard had any doubts about what was really going on at all, they were quickly being erased from his mind as fast as mentally possible.

"I'm glad you're here, Shepard," Tali whispered, firmly engrossed in enjoying this moment with no regrets, to savor just this one thing in a series of misfortunes. "After all this is over, I just want you to know because you deserve it, that you're the only one who makes me feel truly safe."

Shepard himself did not reply. Rather, his brow further creased in worry but he did not move an inch.

_This completely inappropriate,_ he thought miserably. _She's…she's under my command and this sort of thing is highly irregular!_

Another voice from within piped up. _So why don't you stop?_

_Because…I think that I want this, and she does too. I just don't know how to tell her._

Torn from indecision, the two sat together in silence for a few more minutes, savoring the closeness of the other in secret before they began to get ready to move again. They had a long day ahead of them and it was crucial that they make good time. They had enough of this planet to last two lifetimes.

* * *

><p>Grevel carefully wiped the blood off his combat knife, making sure the shiny surface was spotless after today's debacle in the field. He had gone out with another contingent of faction troops out into the jungle again and while they were able to pick up a few more hapless humans running around with no interruptions this time, none of them had the mutagen in their blood stream that he was looking for, resulting in the entire day to be wasted.<p>

To make matters worse, when they had come back, on a whim Grevel decided to inspect the cordoned off area where he specifically housed _his_ hostages separate from the masses. What he had found was that one of the guards assigned to the post had a momentary lapse in judgment and was in the middle of violating another woman off in the corner, her mouth taped over to muzzle her screams. She wasn't dead from the abuse but she certainly wished that she was at that moment.

Grevel made sure not to kill him, knowing that Zherl would be even more angered at him for his actions, but he took it upon himself to make sure that the guard in question would never rape another person ever again. Grevel actually hoped that he would bleed out after he had made the proper cut, the shocked expression on the batarian's face made him all sorts of gleeful in interrupting the alien's "fun."

The screams from the batarian were even louder than the poor woman's, and after Grevel locked her back in her cage to recuperate, the amount of stares he got from the rest of the troopers were all bordering on complete and utter panic. It gave Grevel a sense of jubilation that he was getting his point across, although it was at the cost of the tarnishing of the merchandise.

Now he sat in his own little room just inside the cavernous hangar, the lights off with nothing but the blaring of the security screens in front of him providing illumination. Finished cleaning, he turned his chair around so that he was looking at the blank wall, the vidscreens casting his shadow across the floor. He folded his hands across his lap, shuffling his black duster so that he was comfortably positioned.

Pondering, he lifted the combat knife and slowly turned it in his hands, watching it reflect what little light there was in the room. It was sharp, sharp enough to part flesh from bone with a simple flick of the wrist. There was something sinister about it, Grevel wondered as he allowed his eyes to close. To think that such a small thing could do a lot of damage…

The dream entered his mind before he could stop himself. He sat helplessly, now a slave to existence itself.

_The smoke from the homestead billowed into the air. The flat plain lay featureless in every direction except from the small set of buildings he ran towards. The light of the evening sun cast everything into an orange glow, making it easier for his labored breath to be seen in the dusk._

_Pirates, came the thought. A raid._

_He burst into the first building and roared as the flames jumped out at him. He backed up but not enough for the first few tendrils to sear at the skin, causing it to blister. Ignoring the pain, he covered his face with his cloak and rushed inside. He screamed for the occupant, looking through tear-streaked eyes as he overturned charred items in his haste._

_This was our home, he thought. This is what we built together…_

_His feet caught on something and he fell hard, just missing a column of flame that spun out from a nearby room. He rolled in place and saw a hint of pale flesh, the person faintly stirring._

_She was still alive!_

_Bellowing, he scooped her up in his arms and made his way outside. His eyes were closed to protect him from all the smoke but he knew the path by heart. Once outside, his lungs ached for the cool, fresh air and he immediately threw up onto the parched grass, staining it with the only food he had consumed in the past twelve hours._

_Moaning, he crawled back to where he had deposited her, the pale creature who he had been pining to see for so long. Her skin was naturally lighter than his, considering the fact that they were not of the same species, but it did not change the fact that she was still lovely, a beautiful soul that had entranced him ever since he laid eyes on her. She had been his one hope at attaining a better life beyond the military, and now she was broken just like his future._

_Now she lay next to him, her dark hair completely burned away. Her left side of her face was blackened from the fire, one eye wept pale fluid. Charred muscle gleamed through the cracked skin, her face locked into a permanent expression._

_Tears came to his eyes again as he saw that her body was completely smashed. Her arms hung at awkward angles, her mouth was stained with blood, and he could see that parts of her head did not line up naturally. Someone had completely crushed her skull, he could see pulpy bits of brain lay exposed from where something had brutally impacted with the back of her head._

_How she was still alive he could never explain to this day. Perhaps she held on long enough for them to meet this one final time, knowing that she could find peace afterward. It did not bring him any respite, for all he saw was her final attempt to smile before she coughed and finally lay still, her struggle ended._

"_Sofia," he remembered sobbing. "Sofia…I…I couldn't get here sooner. I...please forgive me, wherever you are now."_

_Had he been given more time, he would have almost certainly pulled the pistol from his belt and joined her in the afterlife but there was only the crunching of footsteps and the hint of a shadow before something hit hard on the back of his head and he finally collapsed._

_When he woke, it was to a blinding light. There was pain, which meant he was not dead. He was strapped onto a table, no longer on his own world anymore. He struggled against the bonds but they were too tightly fastened in place. Panicked, he began to yell, violently thrashing on the slab._

"_Cleete!" a voice hissed from beyond his vision, startling him. "It wakes!"_

"_Hsss! Good! Maybe we can see if it can do anything besides wailing for its mate."_

_Two figures suddenly appeared over his face, blocking out the light. He squinted before the odd, inverted triangle shape of their heads finally came into focus._

_The two vorcha snarled and hissed as they moved faster than he could comprehend, wondering if he was in a nightmare. With the feeling of long scratches on his body and a series of ripping sounds, he realized that they were tearing off his clothes, but he could do nothing about it. The room was cold and he shivered as the vorcha stepped back a little._

"_Ugly, isn't it?" The one called Cleete hissed._

_With a laugh, the other vorcha produced a wickedly curved knife, the tip sparkling from the industrial light. "It can be fixed, no?"_

_On the table, he had no idea what to expect from their line of dialogue, unable to see past the ceiling, when a sudden spike of pain rammed itself beneath his ribs. He screamed out loud and the spike ripped itself downward, a splattering sound accompanying it._

_It was unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life. His side felt like acid had been poured on it, the feeling hot and wet, and his vision went blurry until one of the vorcha came up to him and dangled something in his face. It wasn't until he felt hot drops splash onto his skin that he realized that the alien was holding a piece of his own flesh before his eyes. Blood dripped down the carved piece, completely revolting him and making him gag._

_The vorcha seemed amused by this. "Never tasted your kind before!" it boasted before taking the flesh and consuming it in a single bite._

_Watching the macabre event transpire, he began to choke before he vomited, some spraying up into the air as he tried to turn his head to clear his mouth of the foul substance. He heaved some more while the vorcha retched with him, a look of disgust upon its face._

"_Ugpth! Too chewy for Hlaate!"_

_The hissing of steam now sounded in the background, but on the table, he was still too frazzled to notice anything._

"_Roast it!" Cleete laughed. "See if it tastes better!"_

"_Why?" he finally moaned from his position. "Why are you…doing this…to me?"_

_He got no answer, only more pain as he watched them press a heated knife to his abdomen. As a terrible noise erupted from below, everything flared white-hot for a second before he passed out. The merciful blackness would not admit him, however, and he soon awoke seconds later to find the two vorcha gorging themselves on his cooked flesh._

"_Better!" Hlaate nodded. "But still a little…stringy."_

_Where the searing metal had touched him with its kiss, he could feel nothing anymore. Yet, as he continued to watch the two vorcha cut off blackened pieces of skin from him without any pain whatsoever, he realized that the nerve endings had been burned to the point where they were now useless._

_Taking another deep breath, he screamed again, making the vorcha jump in the middle of their feast. This was cruel! What had he done to deserve this? Why was this even happening to him?! Why couldn't they just kill him and let him join with Sofia in the afterlife?_

"_Aagggh!" one of the vorcha snarled. "Shut it up! Its wails are hurting my ears!"_

_The other narrowed its eyes as it reached for the knife lying on the heated plate once more. "Let it whimper. I still want it to cry in pain some more."_

_The vorcha called Cleete shrugged and moved over to where he was thrashing on the slab. With its clawed fingers, he grabbed the flailing prisoner's head and held it steady. Hlaate laughed and picked up the knife, small smoky wisps rising from the glowing blade. The vorcha walked over and snarled at its captive, spraying it with spittle. Painfully slow, it began to drop its arm, the knife descending closer and closer to the skin of the person they had in their clutches._

_His eyes widened as he trembled, unable to do anything. "No! Not my face!" he screamed. "No…no! Please, no! NO! NOOOOOO!"_

"NO!" Grevel screamed as he hunched forward, gagging inside his helmet. Furious at his loss of control, he banged his arm savagely down on the armrest of the chair, indenting it. Spare parts attached to the metal surface clattered away as the brute force bent the chair, making the side sag a little.

Gnashing his teeth and grateful that no one was around to witness this, Grevel breathed loudly in and out, the noise a ragged pant. He ached to rub at his temples and smooth a hand over his brow, but the helmet he wore prevented all that from happening. He didn't like to take it off, but he would be in a bigger state of discomfort if he didn't remove it now.

With a few clicks and fumbling at the clasps, he breathed normally as he sat the skull-like covering on his lap, staring back into the red eyes that had become his face for the past few years. The room was clean enough that he wouldn't have to worry about his damaged lungs getting infected, for this was more important.

Ten minutes passed of nothing but Grevel staring deeply into his mask's eyes, captivating himself with its cruel gaze, the look he had given many as he casually ended their lives one by one. He remembered being afraid of it once when it was presented to him, how he was wary at having to don such a covering. But now, it had become more like his face than whatever it hid within. He was no longer afraid of it, afraid of dying. Now, he had _become_ the fear, the nightmare that permeated the souls of his own victims.

He just hoped that no one would ever realize that the nightmare was controlled by his own nightmares.

Placing his mask back on, he rolled his jaw so that the metal piece would fit snugly onto him. With a few clacks of the jawbone, everything sealed off, Grevel rose from his chair and turned it around before he made to leave.

However, struck by a spontaneous urge, Grevel stepped forward and brutally sank his fist through one of the numerous vidscreens assembled at the console. Glass shattered and broke as the armored limb plowed through it with no difficulty. There was no noise from Grevel, only a savage gaze as he rid his thoughts of the events from that terrible day, and withdrew his limb tenderly.

He looked at his hand and saw that chunks of glass had embedded themselves through his bodysuit, in between the black armor plates, and into the flesh of his hand. Jagged shards rose like tiny mountains, dark blood seeping along the edges.

"Fuck," Grevel muttered as he yanked a nasty looking piece out, watching his blood drip off the edge which had impaled his skin down to the floor.

As always, there was no pain.

* * *

><p>"Shepard!" Tali beckoned. "Come quickly, we're here!"<p>

Trailing a few meters behind, Shepard caught up to her after a quick spurt of jogging to join her where the last of the trees ended. Kneeling down cautiously, they slowly crept forward and pushed aside the last of the vegetation to behold what lay before them.

Night had fallen about an hour ago, but they had made good progress the entire day. They had made minimal stops for food and they were too eager to get off this crazy rock to even think about waiting another day.

Right now, they were perched on a small hill, one that ran down to a large clearing in the shadow of a mountain. A dirt trail to their right, marked by tire tracks, ran down to the base of the mountain. Looking past, they could see a stretch of level ground right before a drop-off, a cliff that had formed from the fracturing of the landscape.

From their position, it was hard to tell how far down the cliff went, but if the presence of the jungle and the angle of the multiple coned mountains in the distance were any useful as indicators, then it was most definitely a fatal drop. Shepard doubted there would be a lagoon at the bottom as well or anything else that could be used as a suitable cushion.

Right before the cliff, however, upon a muddy stretch of land looked to be like the sort of compound the two were expecting to find. A small fleet of Makos were assembled and in formation, a couple Mantis gunships were parked at the edge, and rows of cages were dispersed evenly throughout the site. Remote spotlights aimlessly scanned the area, casting all objects below them in a harsh, white light.

Shepard felt something on his face and he looked up in annoyance. The sky was completely shrouded by dark clouds and it looked like that they were in for some rain. The fine drizzle began to coat everything with condensation, the drops illuminated from the bright lights below.

"The storm will mask our approach," he told Tali. "Stick to the tree line and keep close."

"So what's the plan?" Tali whispered as they followed the edge of the forest down the hill.

"Make our way towards a Mantis. We won't be able to traverse the relay network with one of those but we can make it to a city that has such a ship."

The lights from the compound throwing off their natural night vision, their hands were outstretched to push aside any branches at face level, hoping not to poke their eye out in the dark.

Tali's foot hit something and she looked down before recoiling in horror. "Shepard…" she whispered, trying not to gag.

Shepard turned back and looked at where Tali was indicating. He walked over and cupped a hand to the side of his eye so that the blaring lights couldn't interfere with what he was trying to see. At her feet, he could see the horrified final look of a human in pain. Their face was splattered with blood and their body looked to be mutilated as their arm was missing and several cuts lined their torso. The ground was stained beneath them as the corpse's slashed belly drew a host of flies, buzzing about in their quest to feed.

Grimacing, he also looked away as he held out his hand for Tali to take. Gently, he led her on their continued path, away from the gristly sight. Even in the darkness, if he concentrated enough, he could still see similar forms dispersed throughout the jungle, lying in their eternal rest, the horrible smell now more evident over the natural musky scent of the forest.

"Don't look at them, Tali," he whispered, hoping that she wouldn't panic.

"There's so _many_ of them. Why didn't they just dump them off the cliff?"

"It's common for batarians to do this," he explained carefully, trying not to scare her too much. "My guess is they were set loose from the compound for sport and then they set the varren on them before they could make it to safety. I would guess that the butchers probably did not want to expend the manpower in picking up the bodies so they just left them where they fell."

"Keelah, I'm going to be sick."

"Hold it in, Tali," he assured. "Just a little further and you won't have to see this planet anymore."

They had reached the place where the mountain significantly began and the jungle ended. Breaking away from the forest, the two hugged the rock wall, hands scraping across it as they blended into the night. The rain had become heavier by now, fat drops falling from the sky and splashing hard on the ground, muffling the sound of their footsteps. The rain was also a blessing because it severely limited all visibility, making Shepard and Tali practically invisible at long distances.

As they finally made it to the edges of the compound, they began to crouch-walk past a pile of I-beams, waiting until a passing guard had moved by their position. They repeated this process several times, always seeking cover when the squelching of boots in the mud from a nearby patrol began to sound through the pouring rain.

Light illuminated their position for a brief second as a Mako shuttled past them and into the hangar built into the mountain. Most likely a maintenance run. Heart in their throats, they went prone and began to crawl underneath another parked Mako, the Mantis in their sights, when a piercing scream split the air.

Alarmed, their gazes focused to the left, to the row of cages closest to them. A red-armored batarian was dragging a human male by the neck, his feet kicking feebly as he became soiled from being pulled through the mud. The alien did not seem to be affected by the weak struggling and bodily threw the human into an unoccupied cage with a laugh, seeing the limp form smash against the side of the thick bars.

Shepard fumed as he lay in the ooze, watching the arrogant batarian walk back to where his comrades were gathered at the end of the row. One of them seemed to be fumbling with a row of keys when Tali quickly tapped his arm.

"The prisoners," she indicated with a thumb. "Why don't they struggle at all?"

"They can't," Shepard shook his head. "They're weak from being starved for days, I bet. Plus, I doubt if some of these prisoners can _walk_ at all."

"Why is that?"

"Did you see the man's ankles?" he asked her, referring to the newest prisoner that got dragged by. "His pants were stained with blood in that general area. They cut his tendons so he wouldn't be able to run away."

"Now I'm _definitely_ going to be sick," Tali softly moaned, causing Shepard to squeeze her arm.

"Not much further to go. Hang on."

Tali crawled up so that she was at eye level with Shepard. They waited for the large group to move away, after they produced a shrieking woman from one of the cages. As the large group roared raucously while they dragged her away to a makeshift tent closer to the mountain, Shepard quietly swore and Tali muttered some words of her own. That was all they needed to see in order to determine what would happen next. But knowing that a lifetime of horror was located mere meters away and knowing that they couldn't do anything about it was agonizing.

"I'll find a way to make them pay," Shepard gritted through clenched teeth. "When we get out of here, I'll make sure that they _all_ get their deserved retribution."

"I'll be more than glad to help," Tali agreed in a low, fierce voice.

Standing up after they crawled out from under the Mako, they looked in all directions they could discern before they deduced that the path to the Mantis was relatively clear. Still, they kept themselves low, taking a twisting route so that obstacles could obscure what the rain could not. In half a minute, they stopped behind a final crate just thirty feet away from the gunship, ready for one final dash towards freedom.

"Okay," Shepard said as he faced Tali. "As soon as I start the engine, they're going to detect us. I'll get us in the air as fast as possible but I need you to man the turret to keep them at bay until we're in the clear. Got it?"

"I do," Tali nodded determinedly. "Ready when you are."

Thunder rumbled around the clearing, the trees rustled from the wind. But for one blessed moment, everything silenced.

"On my mark, we break for it," he said, tensing his legs. "One…two…_three!_"

As soon as they took the first few strides into their sprint, they were suddenly flung backwards as the nearest Mantis exploded with a _BOOM!_ Shepard felt a wall of heat wash over him and suddenly he was flying, hearing Tali cry out in pain as she too was picked up and thrown from the blast. They landed in the mud, the soft earth cushioning the landing for them and preventing any of their bones from being broken.

The remains of the Mantis lay smoldering on the ground, a twisted husk of a once flyable ship. Through the rain and light, Shepard could see the other gunship suddenly ignite its engines and roar off into the night. He slowly got to his feet, Tali still beside him before the spotlights shone on their position, blinding them with the intense glare. A siren was now sounding, wailing throughout the compound as panicked shouts from the batarians soon became added to the din.

"Tali," Shepard said quickly once they had confirmed for themselves that they had escaped relative injury, "I need you to run back to the jungle. I'll be right behind y-"

A quick sound of thumping footprints cut him off and an enormous roar seemed to fill the sky. Silhouetted for one brief moment against the lights, a tall armored form jumped from the crates and caught Shepard in a savage tackle, sending them both to the ground.

The wind knocked out of him, Shepard coughed and reached for his pistol, but not before a hand slapped it aside. Another limb grasped at the armor at his collar and he felt himself yanked up before a fist plowed into his jaw, knocking him down again.

"_That_ was the only way you'd get out of here, Shepard," Grevel crowed, the rain beating on his coat, his frightful mask dripping water. "You think we would be so stupid as to leave your only viable method of transportation _unguarded?_"

Before the enormous figure could gloat some more, the air around him sparked and crackled, causing Grevel to turn around. Tali was on one knee, her pistol in the proper position as she steadily aimed and fired as fast as her finger could pull the trigger. Each bullet splashed harmlessly away on Grevel's shield, who did not even make a move to get out of the way. Very quickly, her thermal clip overheated and she panicked as she fumbled to retrieve another weapon.

Grevel, on the other hand, smoothly produced a pistol of his own from his side and casually fired. The high-velocity round was so powerful that Tali's shields were drained a quarter, causing her to back up in panic. Grevel fired again, this time almost draining Tali's shields, forcing her to retreat into cover behind an excavator.

Suddenly, Grevel found himself pitched forward as Shepard, in close enough proximity that he momentarily forgot about his other weapons strapped to his back, sprung from the ground and planted a shoulder tackle perfectly into the small of the figure's back. Grevel grunted as he hit the mud face-first, his coat soaking up much of the filth, and winced as Shepard kicked at him, finding the human's actions to be only mildly uncomfortable.

Turning on his back, Grevel caught the next kick from the human with his hand and yanked hard. Shepard fell once again and Grevel crawled toward him, intent on dispersing a lot of pain. Quickly, Shepard rolled out of arm's reach and sprung to his feet, hands now reaching for his assault rifle. Grevel quickly realized that he no longer had the advantage and surged towards a stack of concrete piping, just in time for Shepard's bullets to nick off the smooth surface.

Shepard adjusted the rifle in his hands, his gloves slippery from the rain. He continued to aim at where Grevel had taken cover, using a few precious seconds to look down the sights and steady his breathing. Behind him, he could hear sustained gunfire and shouts of alarm from where the excavator was. That had to be Tali, he thought. She was keeping the guards off of him while he dealt with this monster.

Cautiously advancing, Shepard made sure to stay a good distance away so that Grevel wouldn't sprint at him and catch him off guard. He glanced through the pipes once he was at a good distance and saw a hint of shadows moving on the other side. He fired, hearing the ricochets and the clattering of concrete chips through the rain.

Smiling at his foe's retreat, Shepard shouted, "What, are you _scared_ now, Grevel? All your bluster and now you hide from me? Do you use that fancy coat of yours for anything other than fashion?"

A dark form burst from a stack of crates to Shepard's left, forty-five degrees away from where Shepard was currently pointing. Grevel reached deep into the corner that his coat obscured and withdrew a snub-nosed shotgun, the thermal clip already primed.

"_Function_," came the shadow's reply.

Before Shepard could react, Grevel fired the shotgun and the commander felt something impact his shoulder, throwing his aim off course. He fell on his back, his rifle knocked out of his hands, grunting as he felt his socket dislocate from the fall. He clutched at the useless limb, eyes focusing on the rifle lying only inches away when a heavy boot suddenly came down and smashed it in half, scattering its metallic innards all over the sludge.

"I have no reason to be scared of _you_," Grevel snarled above him, but in a manner that sounded almost regretful, shotgun pointed at the ground. "And I would recommend that you give up now, Shepard. I have more use for you alive than dead, but it doesn't matter how damaged you get. In the end, you _will_ forfeit, and your struggle will remain pointless. Better to give up sooner than later."

The rain fell on Shepard's eyes, making him blink. Spitting the liquid from his mouth as it streamed down his face, he slowly sat up, waiting for the huge figure to attack him. However, Grevel remained stoic, letting Shepard rise all the way up, red eyes watching, analyzing, admiring. Through the rain, the repeated gunfire reports continued to echo as the world gradually became more and more waterlogged.

_Tali…_ he thought. _I hope she's all right._

"Why would I give up now?" Shepard smiled as he took a step forward. "There's still a fight to be had."

Grevel merely shrugged, tossing his shotgun to the ground. "As you wish."

As fast as he could cock his left arm back and hurl it, Shepard whirled forward with one of the most powerful punches he had ever thrown in his life. But Grevel had already planned out his strategy as he knew that Shepard's right arm was dislocated and useless, all his attacks would be coming from the left arm. Therefore, it was easy for the armored demon to simply sidestep to his left and watch as Shepard's blow harmlessly sailed by.

The helmet's jawbone tilted upward in a smile and Grevel quickly jabbed at Shepard's unprotected flank. Shepard winced as the protected knuckle plates bounced off his side, sending him skidding a couple inches back.

With a series of unintelligible growls, Grevel hurled blow after blow upon Shepard, pushing him back further and further. Shepard could only ward off about half the blows with his good arm and every time he did so, he thought that his forearm was going to shatter from the sheer power that Grevel threw. It was like he was unable of tiring, that he could push his body beyond his natural limit.

_Who is this guy?_ Shepard thought in panic.

Grevel seemed to be enjoying himself, for with every punch he threw, he punctuated it with a ghastly laugh, the sound grating on Shepard's ears. The huge figure soon stopped the abuse, perhaps out of sheer boredom, and that's when Shepard chose to strike.

Scything from below, Shepard let out a "_yes!_" when his fist made contact with the jaw of Grevel's helmet, snapping his head to the side. He didn't mind the fact that it felt like he had punched a solid wall, the red eyes behind the mask looked shocked that Shepard had managed to land such a blow on _him_. That made the punch all worth it thus far.

The small victory was short-lived as Grevel's head moved back to its original position very quickly, the jawbone clacking in admiration while the red eyes narrowed.

"_Almost_ felt that one," Grevel growled before he shot his head forward in a vicious headbutt.

Shepard cried out as the helmet rammed his skull, causing stars to explode through the wet night. He toppled backward, landing uncomfortably on the treads of a green excavator. He gasped as his head throbbed, feeling something warm that wasn't rain trickle down his forehead.

Grevel took his time in walking forward, a bright red splotch now gleaming on the ivory-white portion of his helmet where it had made contact with Shepard. The rain was slowly starting to wash the blood away, making it streak down his helmet, causing him to look even more fearsome.

As Grevel raised his fists high, Shepard had just enough time to shake off being stunned to roll to the side and avoid the double hammer fist that smashed down where his body was a second before. The amount of force behind Grevel's blows was so severe that they shattered three treads off of the excavator Shepard had been leaning against. In frustration, Grevel punched the side of the earth mover, cracking the metal shell. He could afford such a grandiose act, it wasn't like he was going to feel anything in the morning.

In desperation, Shepard reached up and grasped at the collar of Grevel's armor and simultaneously swept his leg, successfully tripping him back down. Grevel snarled again as Shepard rolled on top of him, raining down as many blows as he could with his good arm. But no matter how many times he landed punches, Grevel did not seem fazed at all.

Before he could be thrown off, Shepard curled his fingers and moved them to the edge of Grevel's mask. He felt them slip underneath the edge and with all his might, he began to pull. If he couldn't damage the armor, he could damage the person inside.

However, Grevel felt the edge of his mask start to be yanked upward, feeling a draft of cool air waft inside. The mask couldn't be removed simply by pulling it, one had to depress the clasps, but the action enraged Grevel all the same.

"_NO!_" came the answering howl before he trailed an uppercut that firmly impacted with Shepard's jaw. Grevel pushed with his arms and now Shepard was on his back this time. Getting on his knees, the metal face spat fury as the black gauntlets pummeled Shepard's face repeatedly. "_No…no…no!_"

Blood flew everywhere as the barrage mangled Shepard's face. He felt his nose break, the blood immediately gushing out in a red torrent. Cuts accumulated and merged while Grevel bellowed. He felt himself slip in and out of consciousness, each punch registering less and less pain.

The harsh dripping of rain on his face brought him back, just in time to see Grevel roar before he brutally stomped a foot on Shepard's chest. The human felt his ribs snap as they were crushed from the blow, a final spurt of blood erupting from his mouth. Gasping for air, he found his passageways restricted before the agony set in, a constricting hand around his lungs. Feeling a fire erupt in his cavity, his body finally had enough for one night.

Before he lapsed into unconsciousness, the last thing he saw was Grevel standing over him, the metallic jaw moving in time to his heavy breathing. "I _told_ you that your struggle was pointless," the deep voice mocked before everything suddenly went dark.

Grevel watched Shepard's eyes close and any smug satisfaction quickly turned to concern. Lying on his back like that in the rain could potentially lead to drowning if he wasn't careful, which was not the largest problem at the moment by any stretch of the means. When he had stomped on his chest, Grevel knew that many of the human's ribs would be broken and that could impede any normal breathing. If he was to insure Shepard's survival, then he needed to be looked at immediately.

"You _bastard!_" someone screamed shrilly behind him. Grevel turned around in amusement to see a bright burst erupt from Tali's shogun, the entire round impacting in the center of mass. It didn't break the shield but it did knock him back a foot, his feet leaving gouges in the soft ground.

Grevel grinned as he quickly advanced, not playing games anymore. Tali, frightened that her enemy was advancing so quickly, hastily fired again. Grevel sidestepped, and again, and again, each time narrowly avoiding the blasts.

Tali aimed straight and true when the demon was at point-blank range, her shoulder absorbing all the recoil. Grevel bent his knees and the entirety of the round travelled straight over his head. Tali's grip slackened in shock as her weapon finally overheated and gaped in horror from the astonishing speed that Grevel moved.

He shot his arm out and ripped the gun out of Tali's feeble grip before he sank a fist into her gut. As Tali coughed horribly, she bent forward and Grevel swung the shotgun in an arc. The handgrip made hard contact with the side of her helmet and Tali was thrown to the ground, knocked out. Grevel stared at the now ruined shotgun, casually dropping it before addressing the amassed troopers around him that had assembled to watch the fight.

"Throw them in the interior cells," Grevel shouted above the pouring rain, looking ever much the boogeyman from many a nightmare. "See to it that they're alive and well when they wake." A slow smile crept along the jaw as his breathing dropped back down to normal. "And make sure that they're _isolated_."

Grevel watched the troopers grab both Tali and Shepard, dragging them through the mud towards the hangar at the far side of the compound. He stayed a while longer to look over the scene and contemplate some more.

The rain had successfully washed all of the mud Shepard's blood off him now, but his duster was still soaked through. Grevel absentmindedly ran a hand along the seals of his helmet, making sure they were firmly in place before giving the outside one last final look before heading in to check up on the status of their new prisoners.

As much as he was eager to begin with his work, he had to remind himself that patience was indeed a virtue and that the wait would ultimately be more rewarding.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Reader Facemelter has aptly described an aspect of the story that I have foreseen that would be troubling for some people. The topic in question is the problem with Grevel's description, with it being a little too nebulous, aside from the more obvious physical aspects.**_

_**But one key thing that I have not described yet is Grevel's species and that is specifically because I have deliberately intended for it to remain unknown at this point in time. This is just to make the character a little more mysterious and menacing overall, because the reader is not able to pull any stereotypes from all of the ME species into characterizing Grevel. While I haven't hinted outright what species Grevel is exactly, I have made hints throughout that narrow the list of available choices. **_

_**The whole thing was an artistic choice that I had planned out ahead of time, so I just want to assure everyone that I haven't forgotten a crucial detail. I was just interested to see what I could do with such a character that's basically a blank slate and use him in several nefarious ways. Hell, we haven't even seen how far Grevel's madness extends yet.**_

_**That's another thing too, don't be afraid to ask questions. I see questions as genuine interest from readers and I enjoy it when I am reminded that there are people that get engrossed in these stories. Hopefully you enjoy reading this as much as I do writing it!**_


	6. Chapter 6: A Two-Front Hurt

It could have been days, months, or even years to Shepard since he gained consciousness. Time did not seem to pass as he looked at his world with streaked eyes, wondering what hell he had fallen into this time, his body riddled with pain.

When he had first woken up, he noticed that his hands were bound in front of him, held together by a pair of metal cuffs. He was just in his black skintight bodysuit, the N7 armor completely removed off of him, not even leaving him with coverings for his feet.

One of the first things he tried after he awoke was to activate his omni-tool but no matter how hard he attempted, the orange holographic interface did not appear from thin air around his arm. Shepard looked down at his cuffs and noticed that there was a tiny blinking green light on the side of them. He cursed, the tech nullifiers embedded in the cuffs were designed to suppress any applications ordered from an omni-tool, bypassing the neural gateways to block any commands from his brain. As long as those cuffs stayed on, his omni-tool would remain dark.

After that unfortunate discovery, Shepard then turned his mind onto taking in his surroundings, noticing that he was now trapped in a tiny room.

Perhaps room was not the best thing to call it, after a further analysis from Shepard. It lacked any furnishings or any touches that would indicate it was suitable for living in, a cell to be exact. The floor was hard, and the walls were shiny, all except for the one side of the room that he faced across from. The soft blue glow of the force field completely covered an entire cell wall, the translucent covering revealing an entire row of more cells like his across a tiny path. Apparently he was just occupying one of these several cells, wherever here was.

When Shepard scooted towards the field and looked up, he could see rafters and metal beams crisscrossing the ceiling above his head. It was apparent that he was now somewhere in the mountain hangar, encased in this tiny little box so that a proper eye could be kept on him. How quaint.

Shepard's chest burned, but it was a light smolder compared to the relative wildfire last night. Or was it only two nights ago? Maybe three? He had lost all track of time and with no reference point for the time of day, his internal clock was all screwed up now.

He guessed that the injuries to his chest had been heavily applied with medi-gel while he was unconscious, which was probably also when someone crudely shoved his shoulder back into his socket and corrected the orientation of his nose, which had bent when Grevel had struck him full on in the face.

Now Shepard continued to sit in the same position since then, his sense of time completely disoriented. He breathed in and out, careful not to exert his healing ribs too badly, knowing that if Grevel were to throw him about like a rag doll again, he would probably break in half.

But, for however long that Shepard sat there, his mind was not on himself the most, it was not on Grevel either, but on Tali. He had been knocked out too soon for him to learn if she shared the same fate as he did, but his lack of knowledge on the matter was excruciating all the same. If she had been subjected to the same amount of pain that he had just been given, if she was lying in a cell all hurt, then she could be in danger of _dying_.

Shepard's breathing escalated painfully. Why did they stow him in a cell all by himself? He needed to know if Tali was all right. He needed to be there for her right now!

With a soft _whirr_, Shepard snapped away from his thoughts to see two helmeted batarians step inside the cell, towering over him for a few seconds as they appeared to savor the moment.

"Where's Tali?" Shepard asked, his voice hoarse. "I want to see Tali."

"You don't _get_ to make demands," one of the batarians said gruffly before he thrust out a boot and hit Shepard in the chest, right where his sternum had cracked.

The human yelled from the pain, immediately wheezing afterward as it felt like someone had switched on a jackhammer against his skeleton. Drool spilled out of his mouth as his body teetered on the edge of quitting, before traitorously deciding to continue on with the realm of consciousness.

Shepard felt the lower half of his body rise as the two batarians each hefted one of his legs and began dragging him out the cell. On his back, his bodysuit scraping along the dusty floor, Shepard blinked as the industrial lighting fixtures passed him by as he scanned the ceiling. He looked to the right and left but could only see the tops of the familiar cells, but was unable to see if there were any occupants inside.

_Tali could be in one of these_, he thought miserably, too banged up to speak. _Please let her be all right._

He heard a door open nearby and suddenly his vision went dark as the blackness throttled him, the sensation of him still being dragged like a carcass the only indicator that he was still moving. With a simultaneous grunt, the batarians unceremoniously dropped his legs to the ground, letting his ankles impact hard on the concrete, skinning them. The footsteps trudged away, but Shepard was too distracted to hear in which direction the batarians were headed.

Roughly and unexpectedly, Shepard felt his hands being grabbed around his cuffs, straining the bruised skin underneath. The hands that held him lifted him bodily off the floor until his arms went limp, numb from any further abuse. Shepard then felt a hand draped in lightweight armor grasp at his arms, hoisting them above his own head while his cuffs banged at something, vibrating down his body.

The hands released and Shepard fell about a couple inches before his arms arrested his fall. His strained shoulder socket did not like that at all and Shepard shouted in agony. His arms were positioned completely to the sky as his cuffs had now been attached to something during the interim spent in this black soup. His legs were bent, his knees not tall enough to reach the ground but positioned so that the top of his feet scraped the surface underneath him.

From the way his arms were swaying, Shepard guessed that his cuffs had just been attached to a cable attached to the ceiling overhead. This wasn't good, he knew what people in sort of position usually received and his outlook was not exactly favorable at the moment.

The same hand as before grasped roughly at his collar, and before Shepard knew what was happening, it yanked away with a tearing sound. He felt cool air at his skin and gasped as the hands tore away the upper portion of his bodysuit while he dangled in place.

Shepard coughed in his uncomfortable position, feebly twisting right and left to get a better feel for his current orientation before the light switched on, dissolving the dark but filling the room with an uncomfortable brightness.

As soon as the glare dimmed, Shepard involuntarily let out a tiny breath of fear at the sight of Grevel standing near the light switch. The mask seemed to be smiling and the person inside took their time in walking over to him. Grevel clasped his hands behind his back, the edges of his coat billowing around his feet. Shepard's head was at Grevel's waist and the huge figure simply raised a hand and lazily twanged the wire that connected Shepard's cuffs to the ceiling, watching it vibrate and settle before addressing his captive.

"I was hoping that you would pull through relatively fine," the mask said. "And I'm sure you agree with my sentiment as well. _The_ Commander Shepard doesn't deserve such an ignominious death from a crushed windpipe in the dirt and the rain. It just isn't befitting someone of your stature."

Shepard winced as the cuffs dug into his wrists from his entire weight being placed on them. With the top part of his bodysuit torn to shreds, though, he was able to see an enormous bruise, almost spherical, spreading out from the center of his chest. The skin was stained an ugly shade of purple and Shepard was frankly astounded at the size.

The room was a mechanic shop, Shepard dimly realized. Tools hung off the sides of the walls and filled portable carts that lay dispersed in the area. The floor around him, though, was completely bare and removed from the items nearby. An island in an ocean of debris.

Looking back up at Grevel, he smirked in response. "Don't tell me you went easy on me simply because I'm somehow _famous_ now, right?"

Grevel chuckled quietly at that. "Keep telling yourself what you want to hear, Shepard. But the fact of the matter is that I beat you fair and square. No tricks were used, no dirty plays. Just one and the other, the way it should be. Same went for the quarian, who sadly lasted far less longer than you did."

"Tali?" Shepard gasped, thrashing against his bonds. "_Where is she?_ She better be alive, you asshole, or I'll-"

"I must say," Grevel laughed intimidatingly. "I was under the impression that the interrogated never questioned the _interrogator_. You certainly are a bold one, Shepard."

"Is she _alive_, you motherf-?!"

"The quarian lives, if that will quiet your bleating for a moment," Grevel hissed. "Although she is currently confined in a cell like yours at the moment. She might have a concussion and a few bruises but she made it through reasonably fine."

"Let me see her."

"You will," Grevel promised, sweeping an arm across the room. "But only after I've asked you _my_ questions first."

"Who the hell _are_ you?" Shepard pleaded, confusion tightening his face.

Grevel only shrugged. "Just someone doing a job. Just like you, Shepard."

From a hidden sheath, a knife popped out from Grevel's wrist and it stayed there, permanently fixed to his armor, the long sleeves of his coat obscuring the mechanism behind it. Quickly, he pressed the knife to Shepard's side and lightly moved his arm down. A thin red line appeared on Shepard's torso, beginning to weep blood.

"Apparently my hint did not register on you the first time," Grevel said as Shepard winced from the cut. "You are not allowed to ask me any questions unless I clearly indicate it!"

"Does that include rhetorical questions as well?" Shepard smiled, despite himself. He couldn't help it but his anger was now showing in force, all of that pent-up rage finally having an outlet to be released.

"Do _not_ be a smart-ass, Shepard," Grevel said coldly, the jaw clicking dangerously. "If you're trying to test my limits then you will find yourself regretting that decision very much."

"Is that all a glorified enforcer has to say to me?" Shepard spat. "Some tried and true line about-"

In exasperation, Grevel moved in again with his wrist blade, this time just pressing the point into the flesh near his shoulder. Blood welled up around the blade, the feeling numb before Grevel withdrew again. "I find your behavior to be quite aggravating," Grevel growled. "I may be just a glorified enforcer, but I'm a glorified enforcer that managed to kick your ass nonetheless."

Shepard could feel blood start to trickle down his arms from his wrists chafing on the cuffs. "You're just another hired thug with a gun," Shepard gritted. "But you involved yourself in a bloodthirsty regime that captures and tortures humans before mauling or _raping_ them to death! Does that sound like normal behavior to _you? _ You really thought that I would stand idly by while crap like that goes on?"

The mask leered closer as Grevel knelt down on a knee to address Shepard directly, the duster gently flapping against the elaborate black armor that wreathed the person's torso. "While it's true that the batarians are unable to control their emotional urges unlike you or me, they are only a part of a complex web in an arrangement too convoluted for any ordinary person to fathom. That is the way of their society and I don't bother to involve myself in their petty struggles, unless it directly affects me. My presence here is simply to act as an overseer for the procurement end of the web in question. I do not affiliate myself with the Na'hesit clan or any other factions that they have subjugated in the past month. They're just cogs in the eternal machine, just like all of us."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Shepard blurted.

Another slash, another cut, this time to his bicep. "I did not say that you could ask questions," Grevel said evenly as Shepard's eyes widened at the new source of dripping blood. "Clearly you are duller than I would have expected. But I would understand that you might be confused as to what has been going on around you. You are in over your head, Shepard, and you might never surface due to your ignorance."

As the bloodied Shepard sank lower onto his bonds, Grevel continued as he grabbed a chair from the corner so that he could sit a foot away from the human, reveling in his pain. "You are familiar with the history of this planet, yes?"

He nodded dimly, starting to feel faint. "Civil war for…slavery a few years ago. Batarians fought over right to have slaves and lost."

"Abridged, but correct," Grevel nodded. "Batarian fanatics did attempt to carry over their practically sacred right to retain slaves here. Naturally, the humans did not want that occurring on a planet that they jointly occupied and they pushed back the aggressors, soon resulting in an accord between the two sides. However, a tenuous peace between the humans and the batarians on the same planet, though. The conditions don't exactly encourage a stable working relationship, do they?"

Shepard dimly shook his head, prompting Grevel to go on. "In essence, history chose to repeat itself when the original instigators of the last war on Anhur, the Na'hesit clan, chose to renew their supposed 'right' once again and struck hard against the human governments on Anhur very shortly before we even knew you were here. Imagine, an entire planet completely wreathed in war in the span of a mere week, cut off from the galaxy when they destroyed the quantum transmitters. An invisible war, right under everyone's noses."

The red eyes focused on Shepard's face, the jaw of the mask moving eagerly now. "It was a good plan on the batarians' end, but it did have some frightening holes, holes that you have managed to exploit, Shepard. How you accomplished what you did is currently unknown to us, but rest assured, I will find out one way or the other."

Grevel suddenly stood up and Shepard, thinking the cold edge of the knife would find him again, twitched backward. The figure did not approach, however, choosing instead to walk over to a nearby bench and pick up what looked like a stubby stick. Grevel marched over and sat back down again, no noise escaping from the mask, dust parting in the air from the heavy breath that the filters allowed.

"This brings me onto the next order of affairs," Grevel said purposefully, flicking a switch on the stick and watching as purple electricity danced along the edge of the combat taser. "While I have no use for the upcoming line of questioning, in reality I have no choice on the matter. My interests and the interests of the batarians rarely line up and it is the case with you continuing to live that is causing a bit of disgruntlement among the troops. They won't harm a hair on your head while I'm here, but I'm sure that many of them would like to flay you alive for your involvement in the Blitz. Perhaps some of them had _family_ that fell to your hands there."

The taser began to spin between Grevel's armored fingers as he looked to the side, appearing to ignore Shepard. "The fact of the matter is that everyone out there wants you dead while I'm the only one who _prefers_ you remain alive. If you want to continue to remain alive, I'm going to have to glean some information out of you, passively or forcefully, that manages to convince the commander of this unfortunate contingent that you are of some use to them. As much as I loathe you at this moment, I am the closest thing you have to a friend right now, unfortunately."

"You might be disappointed, then," Shepard grinned weakly. "Once the Alliance discovers my absence, they will come for me. All I have to do is hold out until then."

"Clever of you, but you place too much stock into your pitiful band of military men. How will they find you? We've searched you and the quarian and found no tracers, your omni-tools have been disabled, and the planet is under heavy flight restrictions! Even if your comrades were to approach the planet, laser sensors would be able to pick up a large ship's outline and tag it immediately, rendering any approach impossible."

"That won't stop them. They'll come to me, I know that they will-"

"-_Not_ ever reach you." Grevel interrupted. "You actually think that there is a chance you will be rescued, don't you? The Alliance will never find you. The Council will never find you. Why should they look for one pitiful human? They never bothered to find _me!_"

Roaring, Grevel lashed out and the taser hit just over Shepard's heart, sending the electricity streaking over his body. The human screamed as every nerve twitched helplessly, a burning sensation seemingly erupting from everywhere. A tingling sensation seemed to resonate just below his jaw, making his teeth chatter.

_-"Can you hear me out there? I'm trapped, I need help!"-_

Grevel lifted the taser off for a blessed moment, panting hard as if he had been the one receiving all the punishment. "No one looked for _me_, Shepard. Not the Council, not the Alliance, not even the Hierarchy, the Hegemony, Republic, or Union! _They will not come!"_

Again, the taser pressed itself to Shepard's chest, who gagged as his eyeballs seemed to be illuminated from the purple sparks. His feet twitched out a staccato pattern on the ground, shuffling around the dust and leaving slight trails.

_-"Then I have a chance to repay you for saving my life."-_

As soon as it began, the energetic assault ended. Grevel looked sourly at the taser, then analyzed the battery and found it to be drained. Shepard's head hung as his body still was suspended, spittle dripping out of his mouth as he breathed in raggedly, relieved.

Carelessly, Grevel tossed the taser to the side, hearing the heavy stick clatter away. With a hand, he firmly gripped Shepard's scalp and forced him so that he was staring up at the demonic mask.

"The taser is not the worst of what I have to offer," Grevel spoke quietly. "You can avoid it all if you answer my questions. What brought you to Anhur, Shepard?"

"How about you kiss my ass?"

The mask seemed to scowl before Grevel stood up and reached toward the rope holding Shepard's cuffs. With a yank at a pulley, the rope slackened and Shepard fell hard to the floor, his stomach smacking the rough concrete. Grevel muttered under his breath as he stalked to the back of the room before returning with a portable fuel tank and a large cloth.

"I had hoped not to use this," Grevel seethed as he nudged Shepard over on his back with a heavy boot, "but apparently you have left me no choice."

Shepard's arms remained positioned at the ceiling, the rope still holding them in place. He was too weak to struggle against the huge figure as he placed a knee across his chest to prevent him from moving. Grevel grabbed the cloth and placed it over Shepard's face, blocking out the harsh electronic lighting of the room. With the human's face appropriately covered, Grevel grabbed the can and held it just above Shepard's face, slowly tipping it until a steady stream of water came out.

The liquid splashed against the cloth initially but once the fabric became soaked, it began to drip through. Shepard gagged as his mouth began to fill with water, the cloth completely covering anywhere on his face that he could take in air. Hastily, he tried to breathe in with his nose only to snort painfully as they only inhaled more water.

Shepard's legs kicked out helplessly, futile against the immensely stronger Grevel. "Are you going to give me something I can use now, Shepard?" the armored soldier growled. "Are you going to tell me why you are Anhur? How you managed to slip through the planetary scanners? Give me _something_, Shepard, and it will all end."

Gurgling frantically, Shepard tried to call out to someone, but the water in his mouth prevented him from forming words. He began to lose sight of his objective, his limbs slowed their struggle. The wet cloth clung to his face, plastering itself to his skin.

_I'm going to drown. I'm going to drown. I'm going to-_

Through the dense blackness, past the water flooding his vision, he suddenly saw a hint of blue through the dark. Quickly, the image of Liara T'Soni peered through the night and offered a hand to him, smiling broadly. In an instant, he found himself wrapped in a naked embrace with the asari, her smooth scales pressing against his body as she spoke kind words, her voice a breathy whisper.

But as much as this position pleased him, he couldn't shake the fact that Liara seemed…_cold_. He looked down at her face in his position, but did not see her look back, preferring to nestle her head in the crook of his neck for warmth.

_No…this isn't what I want. Liara doesn't matter the most to me. Where's Tali? I want Tali._

Willing himself to be elsewhere, his body soon felt a stab of pain near his back. He grimaced as it appeared that he was lying on a hard, rocky ground. It looked like a cave of sorts. Something began constricting around his neck and he rolled to the side in panic.

Inches from his face, Tali lay next to him as she pressed his body closer to her in an effort to keep him warm. Shepard gaped as the quarian opened her eyes, fixating him with that glowing stare, as he found himself sliding into her embrace with confidence this time. She felt receptive, muscular, _warm_. Shepard could not keep his eyes off her visor though and he waited for the glowing light at her vocabulator to blink in time with her voice.

"_Wake up, John_," Tali whispered. "_Wake up_…"

"Wake UP!" Grevel shouted as he yanked the cloth off Shepard's face, causing Tali to dissolve next to him as the light caused everything to fade. Choking horribly, Shepard spewed water into the air as his waterlogged throat screamed for oxygen. Grevel roughly grabbed the human's shoulders and forced him to sit upright, letting the liquid drain as his abused lungs engorged themselves on the precious airborne nectar.

The dream had been wonderful and it was a shame that Grevel hadn't let him drown or else he would have remained in that pleasant fantasy forever. Water streamed down Shepard's face as he continued to cough, his nostrils burning.

"Are you ready to talk now?" Grevel hissed as he crouched down again.

"Sorry," Shepard spluttered between hacks. "I wasn't listening all that well."

Grevel smashed Shepard hard on the jaw, the blow knocking the human over. The knuckle guard on Grevel's fist opened up a deep scratch on Shepard's face. He spat blood from his mouth, the red liquid mixing with the water on the ground. Hard, limber fingers quickly grasped at his face, pulling him upright again and shunting his gaze to the mask three inches away from him.

"You don't seem to be very appreciative of the situation," the low voice uttered. "You think that I have nothing to offer you but a slow death. But what you don't understand is that I don't have to torture just _you_." Shepard's eyes widened as Grevel pointed to the door behind him. "Oh yes, Shepard. If you don't give me something right now, I will have no choice but to bring the quarian in here. Whether she gives me what I want or not is immaterial but there is the risk that if she decides not to cooperate, I will have to engage in another session just like the one we are currently embroiled in right now. And you and I know perfectly well that quarians are much more fragile than humans. She will most likely die, Shepard, after I'm through with her."

The fingers released at the same time Grevel's arm pushed backwards, sending Shepard sprawling on the floor. "You have a choice," Grevel said loudly. "Tell me how it is that you came to Anhur and I'll even let you see the quarian for a short time. If you remain mum, then her death is on your hands because I'm not going to be any more gentle than I have been with you. What's it going to be, Shepard?"

Shepard could feel the sweat beading on his forehead, joining the drops of water that still remained perched on his brow. Bleeding from half a dozen places at once, Shepard tasted blood in his mouth, every fiber in his body pleading for mercy. Groaning, he sat up, using the cable to hoist himself into a sitting position while Grevel watched patiently. The mask's glowing red eyes seemed to lower in satisfaction as Shepard spat from the corner of his mouth, leaving a red splotch on the concrete.

"Our ship…" he began. "It picked up a…transmission on the quantum band. Traced it to Anhur."

"A transmission? From Anhur? Impossible, the quantum buoy was destroyed prior to the start of the civil war."

"Piggybacked off of a…nearby mercenary trawler. They relayed it to the nearest authorities and they gave only the mention of a signal to us…but they only gave us a ghost of the transmission. We didn't know that the signal had…stopped transmitting long before."

Grevel leaned forward in interest. "Most interesting. And where did this transmission originate from?"

"A crashed Trident near…the mountains," Shepard said through gritted teeth. "Rescue buoy activated from it being shot down."

The jaw of the mask smiled briefly before Grevel stood up and yanked on the pulley. Shepard shouted as the rope hauled him off the ground, leaving his feet to hang at an inconvenient height again.

"Wasn't so hard now, was it?" Grevel laughed nastily. "The story seems to be based on a certain amount of truth, given the fact that your argument is relatively solid and doesn't fall apart upon any initial thinking. Whether that's what really happens matters little, only that you have staved off a painful death temporarily for you and your quarian cohort."

Flicking the clasp on Shepard's cuffs, the rope detached and the human felt his ribs flare from yet another fall at the same time a pair of batarian soldiers walked back into the room, drawn by a hidden gesture from Grevel.

"Throw him in the quarian's cell for five minutes," he ordered the troopers, staring down at Shepard, who was struggling to crawl forward. "After which you'll then drag him back to his own cell."

Wordlessly, the batarians obeyed, grabbing Shepard's cuffed arms and dragging him out on his stomach. Grevel followed them out but turned in the opposite direction, towards a maintenance hallway, leaving Shepard in the hands of the militia. He wasn't worried because everyone on this base knew that if Shepard was harmed by a hand that _wasn't_ Grevel's, many of them could find their comrades distributed in tiny pieces all over the compound.

Grevel rounded a corner and headed towards the door in the back of the hallway marked "Communications." The white corridor shone as he marched onward, the entryway set firmly in his sights, reflected through the optics in his mask.

"You!" Grevel shouted at a technician who had just departed from the room in question. "Is the portable transmitter fully functional yet?"

The batarian gulped audibly. "Just got it up and running fifteen minutes ago. We've only connected with your contact not a moment ago. He is waiting on the line, sir."

"Good! See to it that I'm not disturbed for the duration of the call."

"Yes sir!" the batarian hastily saluted, even though such an act was completely unnecessary. Grevel shouldered past the frightened alien and almost made it inside when a roar reverberated through the narrow hall.

"GREVEL!"

"Shit," he hissed, his hands crushing the edge of the door in anger. He turned around partially to see Zherl stomping towards him, all four eyes furrowed in rage. "Was there something you needed, Zherl?"

"You spent barely half an hour in that room with Shepard!" the batarian spat, flabbergasted. "There is no way that he told you everything about his mission in that time! Did you even accomplish anything in there?!"

"Look at the floor of the room, Zherl," Grevel sighed in an exasperated manner, "and tell me if the blood stains are a good sign to you. I got some information out of him but did not even bother to go for it all, I do admit."

"So get him back in there! Find out everything he knows and break him so that there is nothing left!"

Grevel was back to fantasizing about killing Zherl once more. "You may think that these sessions should only be limited to one per person, but I happen to disagree." Grevel growled this with a little more insubordination than was advisable at the time but the batarian had simply gotten on his nerves too many times to care. "Torture is a delicate operation, something that you've never understood. You break someone too fast and they quickly become useless, saying anything you want to make the pain stop. Doing it in installments takes longer, yes, but it also yields better information because the hostage is more hopeful of escaping punishment after each time. I'm following your conditions, Zherl, so with all due respect, shut the fuck up and let me do my job."

Zherl's four eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets. "You…you spineless prick! I meant that you get any information out of Shepard _quickly!_ That was the only reason I was persuaded by you to let him live!"

"Read the fine print," Grevel shrugged, still halfway in the doorway. _You asshole_. "If you wanted to have control over Shepard's confinement here, then maybe _you_ should have gone out there and captured him yourself instead of lounging back in your office, letting others doing the lifting for you. Perhaps you could have used that war hammer that you most likely took from a discarded weapons pile on some backwater planet…"

"I took it from a krogan clan chief's cold dead hands myself on Tuchanka!" Zherl roared, his face turning a brilliant shade of purple.

"I thought you said it was from a _battlemaster_, not a clan chief?"

Zherl's mouth opened but only a strangled noise came out of it. His eyes bugged out in all directions, immeasurably satisfying Grevel, who seized the opportunity at once.

"You're full of shit, Zherl," he growled in victory as he finally stepped into the room, the door sliding behind him and locking in front of the enraged batarian's face.

* * *

><p>Shepard saw the ground flying underneath him before it jumped up to meet his body, adding to another one of the countless times he had been carelessly deposited on the ground today. As always, his breath was knocked out of him and he coughed painfully, turning on his back to see the force field ignite in the cell, sparing him brutality at the hands of another for now.<p>

Or perhaps not, as a pair of arms quickly wrapped themselves around Shepard's neck, making him jolt. His breathing hitched, waiting for his throat to be constricted, cutting off his air supply once again, or maybe he would be pummeled as they did it. That certainly seemed like a good way for the freaks here to get their kicks.

The arms _did_ constrict, but it wasn't painful at all. Shepard gasped as he recognized the pattern on the arms that held him, how they seemed to be wrapped in an enviro-suit and possessed only…three fingers.

"Tali!" he exclaimed, relieved as he tilted his head back to look at the quarian.

"Oh, Shepard!" Tali sobbed joyfully, clutching him close as she began to cry. Shepard sat, dumbfounded, as the woman began shaking from the pure alleviation knowing that he was alive. Unharmed would not be a good descriptor, though, he thought to himself as he looked at his battered torso that the shredded bodysuit revealed. He reckoned that he must really look like hell for Tali's reaction to be so intense.

Tali was now blubbering so badly that he couldn't understand anything she was saying. He only blinked, surprised, as he barely could comprehend the words coming out of her mouth. She continued to clutch at him, scared and unwilling to be left alone again. Her relief was so strong that Shepard could feel tears come to his eyes, for some reason.

"Shh, Tali," he whispered to her. "I'm fine. I'm just fine."

Tali looked up from his shoulder and Shepard swore he could see faint streaks of tears from her glowing eyes reflected inside the visor. "_'Just fine?'_" she repeated in disbelief. "You really think that you're 'just _fine?_' Shepard, look at you! Do you not see that you're _covered_ in cuts and bruises and…Keelah, your face! It…It…"

"-Is nothing," Shepard firmly shook his head, the movement making him wince as his neck twinged. "I'm not too concerned about me right now. Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

"Do _not_ change the subject from yourself, you _bosh'tet_!" Tali hissed angrily.

"I already know how I feel," he replied evenly. "But I don't know how _you're_ doing right now. Please, Tali. Are you badly hurt at all?"

Hesitant, Tali's fingers squeezed at Shepard's arms briefly before she slightly hung her head. "Just a headache and a few scratches. Nothing more."

"I'm glad," Shepard sighed as his head gently slid down into Tali's lap. Tenderly, she began to stroke his face, holding him close while trying to make him as comfortable as possible. Occasionally she would let out a few sniffles, but Shepard smiled all the same.

"That feels good," he beamed at her, battered face and all. Tali let out a brief sob seeing Shepard like this, despite all the pain that he must be feeling. She knew what it was like to be badly hurt for she had broken bones and even gotten shot on a few different occasions before but the amount of damage she saw this human accumulate and still maintain his normal outlook astonished her.

A thought came to her and she trembled, the feeling rippling down her spine. Shepard, his head still in her lap as she continued to gently touch him with her hands, looked up in concern. "What is it, Tali?"

"It…I…" she struggled, her hands starting to shake. "Will…will they torture me too, Shepard? I…I don't want to…I'm so scared…please don't let them-"

"They only want me, Tali," he reassured as he sat himself up, holding out his arms for the quarian to fall into them. As Tali leaned against him, he began rubbing his fingers along her back, just like she had done for him. "As long as I give them little bits of information, you will not be tortured."

"That's not fair, Shepard, remember? Why should you suffer when I'm not?"

"Because I can take it," he answered firmly. "You're young and you're a quarian, Tali. You won't be subjugated to that kind of abuse if I can help it."

"What if I don't _care_ about that?" she retorted hotly, lightly banging her hand against his arm. "You know that I can't stand to see you hurt like this! Just watching is torture for me! I don't want them to torture me…but if I can save your life, then I will take your place. Please, don't-"

"That's exactly the problem we have, Tali. I don't care about my life because I'm trying to save _yours_ for as long as I can!"

Tali whimpered before resting her head on Shepard's shoulder. She silently started crying again, prompting Shepard to hug her closer, the two gently holding onto each other, sharing what little warmth they had with the other.

"Shepard…you-"

"Just…" he shut his eyes, "you don't have to call me 'Shepard,' Tali. Not here, not anymore. I think that all formalities can be dropped between us now. There's no more use in me trying to act that way around you again."

"But…" Tali gaped, breathing increasing. "Does that mean that I can call you John?"

"Please. I'm not your superior in this place. I'm your commander, yes, but I'm also your friend. And I don't want my friend to call me by just my last name. If I want what we have to be meaningful, I want you to call me by my first name."

Tali shuddered and buried her head in Shepard's neck, her body heaving as she frantically began to breathe in and out quickly. Shepard continued to hold her, patting her back as her limber arms snaked around his neck. His wounds were forgotten, all the pain mysteriously vanishing at her touch. Shepard smiled as the woman continued to tightly embrace him, thankful for a good memory in the midst of a series of bad ones.

"I'm afraid, John," Tali whispered.

"I'm afraid too," he admitted.

Tali leaned back so that her helmet was almost touching his face, their eyes at the same level. "John…" Tali mumbled.

"Yes?"

"I…I want to say something…but I never thought the time would be right."

"What, Tali?" he said softly, gently. "What do you want to say?"

Tali took a deep breath, eyes opening slowly. "John…I…I.."

A whirr cut her off, followed by a clomping noise as the batarian guards stepped inside the cell. Their helmets made their expressions unreadable but it was not hard to tell that they were smirking as they stood over the two aliens in their hug.

"Time's up," one of them said as they roughly grasped Shepard around the shoulders. With a yank, Shepard was ripped from Tali's grasp and sliding across the floor on his back.

"No, _WAIT!_" Tali shrieked, rising off the floor. "_JOHN, NO!_"

"Sit down!" one of the guards barked as he pushed the quarian back to the floor.

Shepard roared and struggled against his captors but was unable to do anything in his position. "Tali!" he yelled to her. "_Tali!_"

"John! John, wait! I lo-"

A batarian kneed Shepard in the back, causing his head to bounce off the wall of the cell. A screech echoed in his ears and his vision multiplied. His hairs stood on end as the electro-barrier was raised again, the purple wall separating Shepard and Tali once again.

"-ou!" came the remnant of Tali's sentence that he could understand after his hearing cleared up. "_John! NOOOOO!_"

"_TALI!_" Shepard bellowed, furiously screaming around the cellblock as the noise maliciously echoed into the rafters. Within moments, he lost sight of her and he became the only one to answer his pleas for interaction.

* * *

><p>"…I must confess that the current situation is little more than a disaster," Grevel waved his arms animatedly as he stalked around the holographic projector, his jaw clacking with each forceful word. The room had been darkened so that the only source of light came from the projector in the center of the room, casting Grevel's shadow to be towering amongst the walls. "Are you aware of how this Zherl has turned a blind eye to the deal you gave him? For all the time I've been here, he has exhibited callousness to the humans that you indicated that our clients were after and it was through his incompetence that the shipment is still not ready on time."<p>

"_Batarians, in general, are not sympathetic to the plights of their prisoners_," the figure in the hologram spoke. Grevel could see no discernable image from the projector, the speaker choosing a standard silhouette surrounded by bright light as his avatar. Grevel was expecting this, it usually was how interactions with the man played out and listened as the shadow tilted its head. "_Perhaps it was an oversight on our part, accepting this assignment. We should have been more aware of the problem at the outset but still I chose to proceed_."

"Not only that," Grevel added, "but the soldiers this fool has under his command keep killing whatever humans I've managed to acquire. I lost two last night, even after I had killed a few of their comrades in response!"

"_They are not true soldiers, but militia. They lack the discipline and the respect to fully appreciate the work we're trying to accomplish. But, Grevel, I wonder if you will end up killing the entire contingent before the entire shipment has been assembled? That could make things rather difficult on your end_."

"It might come to that!" he spat, half joking, half serious. "But I think I might have a work-around."

"_Oh?_" the shadow tilted its head. "_Do you propose that we pitch another target group to our enigmatic clients? Given our dealings with them in the past, I doubt they would acquiesce to our request, no matter how nicely we might ask._"

"This isn't just any ordinary transaction. I'm talking about exchanging Commander Shepard!"

The hologram was quiet for a moment, the person on the other line obviously deep in thought. "_Shepard, you say? Explain_."

"He's here," Grevel growled with a grin. "In my custody. The Hero of the Citadel was snooping around this planet and I managed to subdue him a couple days ago. I can present proof for you to-"

"_I doubt I'll need proof to back up such an outlandish claim when you have always been more reserved with your suggestions, Grevel. If you say that you have Commander Shepard, then I believe that you have Commander Shepard. But what are you trying to offer, exactly?_"

"I'm saying that we forget the rest of the humans on this damn planet and offer Shepard instead. You and I both know that Shepard is the one the Collectors have been seeking for months now, instead of all this cat and mouse bullshit they have us engaged in. They have made rumblings about that particular human during every meeting I've been present for but they never had the _balls_ to track him down before. But now that I have Shepard, we can negotiate a better deal with these mysterious clients of ours. It wasn't the mission they set in place but I doubt they'll be upset once they see what we have to give to them in exchange for their technology."

The figure in the hologram nodded sagely. "_The idea is an advantageous one, Grevel, and I am impressed by your initiative. Unfortunately, we know that the Collectors are not exactly a spontaneous race. I'll have to create a line of contact with them and explain the new terms of the deal. That will take time and they will not be convinced right away that what we have to offer is necessarily better than the deal they originally struck with us._"

"How long do you think that will take?"

"_A few days, given their relative reclusiveness. Do you think you'll be able to refrain from killing anyone else in that timeframe while I negotiate with our clients?_"

"Honestly, I doubt it," Grevel shrugged. "If I can find an excuse to stay away from Zherl and his goons, then I'll be able to make it until then without compromising my current standing with the batarians, though."

"_Then try to stay away from him_," the hologram advised. "_Although you may have the pleasure of telling Zherl yourself that we will have washed our hands free from his little insurrection if the Collectors accept our new terms. Realistically, we won't need his services anymore and his involvement, as precisely documented by you, has not made me appreciate their objectives. It will be interesting to consider the fact that his repeated failures decisively doomed his little war. Once Shepard is brought to the Collectors and they enact the transfer, I will pull all funding from the Anhur rebellion, leaving him and his little band to face the wrath of the galaxy by themselves. I doubt that the Council will be quite so sympathetic to the plight of the batarians afterward_."

"I'll be eagerly awaiting your call, then," Grevel smiled, all pieces of his mask folding into the right place. "What do you want me to do with the rest of the hostages until that time?"

"_Just make sure that they're kept alive as a contingency. You can never be sure if the Collectors will suddenly renege on our terms unexpectedly. But make sure that Shepard remains alive until our liability for his welfare is exchanged, okay?_"

"I'll dismantle this entire base if that happens, sir."

"_I'd expect nothing less. Shadow Broker, out._"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: The plot thickens, eh?**_

_**The next chapter might be a little delayed because I'm going to be traveling all day on Saturday and perhaps spending all of Sunday recuperating. Just a heads up for all of you.**_

_**I know, you're all devastated.**_


	7. Chapter 7: I'm Not Abandoning You!

"Psst!"

The annoying noise buzzed by, infringing on his ears and making him instinctively wince in his drowsy state. In response, Shepard mumbled in his half-sleep and curled tighter into his little ball as he faced the wall. The cell had no bed, no blanket, nothing to provide warmth. With his bodysuit ripped, all of his heat was escaping easier and he had to find some way of conserving it before he froze to death in this place.

It had been a mostly sleepless night for him, his lack of amenities being the most obvious reason for this. But what had kept him mentally alert for hours on end the most, was what Tali had been trying to say before he had been pried off of her just last night. What had she wanted to tell him? She was acting like something had been gnawing inside her chest and that speaking would cause the pain to go away. But what would cause the pain to begin with?

"Psst!"

That noise was probably a guard, come to toy with him like he was a varren crammed into its cage.

He ignored it for now, trying to come up with the solution for the unknown quandary that Tali had placed in his mind. Shepard recalled that when the guard banged his head against the cell wall, Tali's sentence had been cut off. He had missed what she was in the process of saying. Was this all an actual part of his memory, though, or was it just a fabrication? Was it only him imagining what he wanted to hear, or was it something else entirely?

What did Tali want to say?

"Psst!"

Shepard now grumbled a little more audibly, briefly rising his head before letting it drop back to the floor. The action was done a little harder than he had thought, wincing as his skull bounced off the ground painfully. He blinked his eyes, now more awake than before.

"_Psst!_"

"For the love of-," Shepard groused sleepily, finally rolling his body around so he could see who was making that infernal racket from the hallway outside.

Through blurry eyes, Shepard saw four black shapes assembled just outside of the blue barrier. They were all crouched and were draped in black. Shepard recoiled slightly before he realized that none of the people before him were Grevel. They didn't look like batarian soldiers either.

Their armor was light, a matte black. A loose fitting bodysuit connected what random bits of plating they had over their bodies. The helmets were a large bubble of darkened plastic, obscuring their faces. They all carried assault rifles, the barrels pointed at the ground.

Intrigued, Shepard sat up slowly, the side of his body aching from where it had lain the entire night. "What's going on?" he whispered fiercely.

"Quiet!" the closest person whispered before he activated his omni-tool. With a few taps, the electronics crack did its thing the azure barrier dropped and the four newcomers quickly stole inside Shepard's cell.

Another black-coated person stepped up and produced a portable laser cutter from a back pocket. "Cover your eyes," he ordered Shepard before he grabbed the prisoner's cuffs and held them closely to the laser.

Shepard shut his eyes at the same time he felt a burst of heat near his wrists. The source of the increase in temperature was moving down quickly and several times, he thought his skin would blister from the sheer heat of the laser. But in a few seconds, the beam switched off and the cuffs clattered to the floor noisily.

"We have your armor," the first person said as he gestured to one of his comrades at his back. They moved forward and dumped the N7 armor in a heap at Shepard's feet. "Get dressed. There's no time."

Shepard knew better than to argue, especially since he had grasped that a jailbreak was occurring. In record time, he managed to seal the armor back up (albeit a little sloppily in some places) and he flexed his fingers tenderly. His omni-tool was working now, thanks to the removal of the nullifier cuffs, and he ran through a few programs to make sure that everything was working correctly before addressing the group in front of him.

The one kneeling closest to him offered a pistol. "Couldn't get your weapons," they said apologetically. "Armory was locked down. They still had your armor in processing, though. That's how we got it."

Shepard checked the pistol to see if it was in decent condition before he shook off the shock of this encounter. "Wait, hold on a minute. Who the hell are you people and how did you even get in here?"

"Keep your voice down!" the one standing nearest to the hallway hissed.

The closest one looked at the man who just spoke before turning back to Shepard. "Security isn't all it's cracked up to be. As for who we are, follow us and you'll find out."

The rest of the group rose to their feet, followed shortly by Shepard. The figure nearest to the edge of the cell briefly glanced both ways down the hall before giving a thumbs up. In single file, everyone moved out with their guns aimed downward the whole time, Shepard noticed, _not_ covering all possible angles.

Amateurs, he reckoned. Not real soldiers.

However, the group took a left right off the bat, causing Shepard to halt in place. "Wait!" he whispered.

"What?" the man leading the group shot back.

"What about Tali!" Shepard looked to the right down where he knew her cell was housed.

"Who the fuck's Tali?"

"I'm not leaving until we get her too!" Shepard asserted, nervously checking around the cell block in case any guards were around.

The man in front fidgeted a little before shaking his head. "Fuck that! We don't have time to get anyone else. If you want to spring another, you're on your own for that, mate."

"Shut up, annoying human!" the next person in line spat at the one who just talked, his actions agitated. "No time to negotiate. Just do as he says!"

"Yes, lets," the leader of the group nodded before sighing in front of Shepard. "But be quick about it."

"Okay," Shepard breathed in. "It's just this way."

* * *

><p>The hangar bay doors opened a relative crack, allowing Grevel to step inside from his watch. His coat was soaked from the rain outside and his mask dripped along the concrete floor, leaving a trail of dark splotches as he walked. His eyes didn't burn any less angrily though and his strides were purposeful as he made his way back to the relative comfort of his private security station.<p>

The night had been another dull affair of watching over the prisoners gathered outside, just in case the Broker's talks with the Collectors fell through. Grevel sincerely hoped that an accord could be reached soon as he tired of babysitting such a pathetic group of humans day in and day out. If the Collectors preferred Shepard over the crops gathered in the cages, then he could let the batarians have all the fun they wanted with the humans while he could take Shepard for himself. Besides, it was easier to transport one than it was to transport ten, or eighty for that matter.

Under his guard, no more of his prisoners had perished due to another demonstration of batarian laxness. Some of the parts from the last trooper he killed were still where he had left them, a cloud of flies buzzing around the spot where the organs had slipped out of the cadaver, marking the place quite clearly. Everyone seemed to be on their best behavior that night and Grevel only wished that every night could have gone so smoothly since the beginning. His life would have been much easier.

As he ascended the steel stairwell, he glanced over to the cells specifically reserved for the important prisoners at the far end of the hangar. Grevel's thoughts turned to Shepard and how he seemed to be quite protective of the quarian, noticeably cracking when he had threatened to put her under the knife instead of him. That was an interesting weak point, Grevel considered. He would have to apply a little more pressure, though, to see how far he could go before Shepard broke completely. All he knew was that things were going to get a lot more interesting with this new line of questioning.

He was debating whether he should start another session with Shepard today or let the human rest while letting his fear simmer as he opened the door to find his room occupied, to his displeasure.

Inside the small security station, a pair of batarians looked to have been in the middle of a conversation, their expressions frozen mid-sentence once they saw Grevel positioned at the door. Their backs were positioned away from the cameras and their slouching postures did not impart on Grevel that they were actively absorbed in whatever assignment they had so poorly chosen to carry out in _here_, of all places.

"Out," Grevel barked, causing the batarians to jump in their seats. "Now!"

"Y-Yes…of…of course!" one of the batarians stammered as he turned around to log himself out of the system, his cohort also doing the same thing.

Frustrated, Grevel stomped back over to the station to ream out the pathetic aliens some more when a flash of movement caught his eye on one of the screens. Heart stopping, he froze in place for a split second before he cautiously crept closer, the batarians frantically trying to vacate their positions before the terrifying figure's rage was unleased.

Grevel tilted his head as his eyes narrowed at the screen. In just a quick interval, he spotted five black shapes crouched down as they moved across the range of the camera. They monitors did not provide any coloration, but Grevel could easily tell that these people were not wearing the red Na'hesit armor. Also, one of the last people to cross the threshold had an unusual insignia on their chest. If Grevel peered even closer, he was able to make out the tiny figures of "N7" etched on the chestplate.

Grevel's mouth dropped open before he grabbed the nearest batarian and bodily yanked him out of his chair, pressing him up against the screen while the alien wailed in terror.

"What…is…_that?_" Grevel growled, his voice shaking with so much fury that he could hardly speak.

"T-T-Th-T-Th-That?" the batarian managed meekly, his four eyes rolling in his sockets, trying to concentrate on what Grevel was referring to, his cheek uncomfortably smashed against the screen, slurring his speech somewhat. As soon as he saw the five people sneaking across the screen, the screen that he should have been manning while he was on duty, he knew that he had messed up for good this time.

"You…" Grevel whispered, too shocked to scream. "Incompetent…mother…_fucker!_" With a primordial bellow, Grevel grabbed the batarian and used all of his strength to smash the alien's head through the screen. Glass sliced at the batarian's throat and blood streamed down the security console while the body twitched in its dying throes.

Before the other batarian could react, Grevel, in frustration, yanked his pistol out of his holster and leveled off a single shot. The bullet careened into the target's forehead, splattering brains all over the far wall, the nearly headless body toppling over.

"They never…fucking…_learn_," Grevel gritted his teeth as he grabbed his assault rifle from his back and rushed back out the door, sprinting over the catwalk in the direction of the cells.

* * *

><p>"Tali!"<p>

It didn't take long for the quarian to quickly scramble up from her fetal position on the floor to the sound of his voice as he stood in front of her cell.

"John!"

Shepard smiled as Tali wrung her hands thankfully, the barrier of her cell the only thing separating them. He knelt down, trying to stay as low as possible, Tali copying everything he was doing.

"How…how did you get out?" she asked, her glowing eyes betraying her astonishment.

"I guess we have a few friends in high places," Shepard jerked a thumb back at the four approaching figures, hunched down as they scanned the rows between the cells. To the lone tech, he turned worriedly. "How long to crack the barrier?"

"Half a minute," the man said, fingers fumbling at his omni-tool, the orange glow casting a cursed light about the place. "Maybe a little longer. The encryption in this place is a tough nut to crack."

Assuring Tali with a smile, Shepard placed a hand flat across the barrier and Tali raised her own to meet it, pressing their palms perfectly across the other.

"Are we just going to start a routine of us saving the other now?" Tali asked in a relived manner.

"Not sure," Shepard grinned broadly. "I'd prefer it if any future expeditions would remain relatively bland from now on."

The taller figure who had protested initially shuffled on his feet. "Didn't know we were springing a damn _quarian_…" he muttered.

"_You_ be quiet," Shepard said dangerously, his eyes glaring coldly at the man who spoke. The person just shrugged and turned away at that. Shepard decided he didn't like this man, whoever he was. His indignant attitude, plus his obvious distaste at the fact that Tali was a quarian, didn't rate him highly on Shepard's books. He would have to stay away from this fellow, he decided.

Back to Tali, Shepard warmed up again. "You'll be out in no time, Tali. God, I can't wait to-"

"_SHEPARD!_" a familiar voice roared, the sound echoing from all over the place.

In a heartbeat, the entire hangar flared with emergency halogen lighting, a blinding illumination that caused everyone to throw up their hands to protect their eyes. Incapacitated, Shepard yelled at the discomfort before his ears reverberated from a quick, explosive beat.

Slowly, Shepard realized that gunfire was erupting inside the cell area and he instinctively threw himself backwards. Sparks flew as bullets smacked up and down the space Shepard had been crouching, causing Tali to make a sound of exclamation and tumble backwards, the shots startling her. Shepard crawled behind another cell around the corner as he held his pistol up, trying to see past the bright lights.

Heavy booms rocketed the place and there was a shattering sound to Shepard's left. He peered around the corner carefully and saw one of the matte-armor individuals, the tech, was lying face down in a spreading puddle of blood. The visor of his helmet was shattered and his body was riddled with holes that had been from bullets passing completely through his body. Gore stained his clothes, dispersed when a round exited through his spine.

"Shaw, _no!_" one of Shepard's rescuers cried, but they did not move. Instead, they stared in horror at the cooling corpse, knowing that going to retrieve it would most certainly result in their death.

From up top, perched on the catwalk that ran central to the wing of the hangar, Grevel waited for his rifle to cool down before aiming down the sights again and pulling the trigger. He couldn't see Shepard from his position but he knew that he would be going for the quarian. He created a few avenues of sites that his bullets impacted upon, some going back through the body of Shaw for good measure, causing more blood to spray into the air.

"You want her, Shepard?" Grevel called from his perch while he sprayed Tali's cell with bullets. Tali screamed in fear as the impacts violently rippled along the barrier, creating a deafening noise from inside the cell. "Is that why you linger? You'd risk your life for a _quarian?_"

"Oh, he's fuckin' risking his life all right," the taller individual crouching next to Shepard grumbled.

Shepard beat the side of the cell he was using for cover in anger. He couldn't get to Tali's cell at all and none of them would be able to get an angle on Grevel without him noticing. Even if they could manage to get into a fortifiable position, Shepard was unsure of the skill and the experience his newfound cohorts had in dealing with crazed psychotics like Grevel before. He was stuck.

"Shepard!" Tali cried in her cell. "John! Please don't leave me!"

"I won't, Tali!" he answered helplessly, his face falling at her despair. "I will not leave you!"

"There's no time, Shepard!" the leader of the rescuers shouted over the din, trying not to look at their dead comrade. "We can't stay here or we'll get captured or killed!"

"_Please!_" Tali sobbed, her visor almost touching the barrier.

Shepard jolted as another round of bullets skimmed off the top of the cell he was using as cover, sending sparks raining down. He raised a shaking hand to wipe away the sweat beading on his brow and began to edge away from Tali.

"Tali…" he began to call.

"_No!_" she screamed, already seeing what he was doing. "NO, John! Please help me! They'll kill me!"

"They will not!" he roared back. "They want you alive because they need _me_, remember? And they'll get me, Tali, because I will come back for you. When the time is right, I will return to free you."

"Promise me, you _bosh'tet_!" Tali cried, her hands beating at the barrier. "Promise me that you meant everything you said!"

"I promise that I'll free you, Tali!" Shepard yelled without hesitation before he succumbed to the tugging of the leader at his arm. "I'll return for you!" With a final forlorn look at the completely defeated and frightened quarian, Shepard blinked tears out of his eyes before he turned and ran.

* * *

><p>Grevel scowled as the rifle in his hands shook uncomfortably. He held the trigger down but the weapon didn't even fire. The displays were not even lighting up. He turned it on its side and he immediately realized what had happened.<p>

To compensate for the continuous overheating of the rifle, Grevel had deliberately overridden the heat exchange protocol in the middle of the fight. This meant that the clip could keep firing even after it had been pushed over the threshold for safe usage. Unfortunately, Grevel had fired too many shots and the thermal clip had finally exploded, gouging a chunk out of the rifle, rendering it useless.

He tossed it down to the ground, himself quickly following as he vaulted over the guardrail. He landed heavily but quickly shook off the jolt to his knees and drew his pistol from his armpit holster. Grevel did not bother with being cautious this time, quickly skirting around corners and walking at a brisk pace, eager to attain something to focus his fire on.

But, there was just one problem right now. No one was firing back.

This was odd to Grevel. Apart from the sobbing from the quarian in the cell, there was no other noise he could discern at the moment.

But wait! There was a faint crackling sound coming from behind the row to his left. Grevel did not find any cause to use safety at this point, taking off at a blistering speed and doing an impressive whirl around the final corner to aim at what he could have never expected to find.

A hole perfectly sized for an average humanoid had been sliced into the floor in the corner, bits of concrete crumbling around the sides. It dug straight down into the ground, connecting some sort of passageway that had been lying completely under everyone's noses this whole time.

_Shit!_

Shepard may have escaped, but that did not mean that he was safe yet. Grevel holstered his pistol as he knelt to check out the hole. No one seemed to be lingering directly below and from the footprints etched in the mud, it looked like they were in a big hurry. There was still time to catch them.

Now a little cautious, Grevel carefully leaned his head into the hole to see if anyone was lying in ambush just out of his sight. His upside-down gaze revealed a maintenance tunnel that ran underneath the hangar, a maze of corridors that revealed a completely hidden side to this base. How interesting.

A beeping sound alerted Grevel and he swiveled his head, seeing only a flash of a yellow timer before he yanked himself bodily back, narrowly escaping the demolition charge. The explosion rumbled the floor of the hangar and unleashed a cloud of smoke and dust from the hole, coating Grevel in the fine particulates.

He did not cough, but Grevel's eyes stung from embarrassment, the shame in having Shepard _in his very hands_ and losing him in a matter of mere hours! He lay on his back some more, hoping that no one would find him moping like this, too incensed to even think about moving at this point.

From the sound of rocks crunching together beneath him, Grevel surmised that the tunnel had collapsed in on itself, blocking any pursuit from his direction. Theoretically it could all be dug away but that would require an unsustainable amount of resources and manpower to sufficiently achieve the removal of blockage and thereby resuming the chase. These humans certainly thought of everything.

Grevel bet that he could spin the whole debacle on the two technicians up in the security station that were not doing their jobs, but because they were dead it would cast suspicion on him now. The only thing holding him back from killing every single person within a mile span was the fact that he still had the quarian. Shepard was drawn the quarian, somehow. Also, the human did not have a ship so how was he planning on escaping this planet to begin with? The only ship within range lay within this very hangar, just like the quarian. Grevel knew that Shepard had two good reasons to come back, for he was too stubborn of an individual to let anything get in his way, especially with his crew and freedom on the line. What hubris, to believe that he could run roughshod and elude Grevel forever.

Now all he had to do was dust himself off and lock himself in a room before Zherl came upon him, undoubtedly searching for some answers. If that batarian so much as opened his jaw one more time, Grevel felt that it would be smacked across the room for the alien to drown in his own blood. Isolating himself was the only effective means of maintaining whatever working relationship that he needed in place at the moment. Hopefully that moment was nearing its end.

* * *

><p>After running through the damp, dimly lit tunnel that he had been so unceremoniously shoved into, Shepard was surprised when he rounded what must have been the five hundredth corner in the last hour to come to an extraordinary sight.<p>

The first thing he immediately noticed was the heat, it was sweltering. The next thing was that he was now perched on a series of railings that overlooked a huge cavern, the metal walkways latched all around a crater that boiled and churned down below.

Metal buildings and shacks were constructed around the rock wall; many perched precariously into the air. The whole thing was a small town, built into the recesses of this tunnel, this cavern.

"It's…" Shepard said in wonderment as he wiped his brow, "…a _volcano_."

"A dormant one," the leader who brought him here clarified, "but one still prone to geologic activity. Come, we need to get you to our medic."

Pressed against the reddish-black rock, Shepard ascended a warm staircase that led upward into the same portable metal housing that colonies all over the galaxy utilized. These homes were meant to be easily transportable, efficient, and cheap. Looks like whoever lived here was putting them to good use.

Opening the door, a turian in regular garb looked up from a data terminal; spotting three people plus Shepard enter the wing. He stood up from his desk, knocking aside his chair in the process.

"Deborah!" the turian breathed, quickly taking Shepard and guiding him to a medical bench in the middle of the room. "Thank the spirits. I was getting worried after I detected the slight spike on the seismograph."

"Wasn't anything to worry about, Interius," the leader spoke. "Just us setting a little going-away present for the bastards up top. Shaw's doing, actually."

"Wait," Shepard butted in as the turian forcefully sat him down, looking at the armored person standing in front of him. "_Deborah?_"

The person nodded once before they lifted the stealth covering off their head, revealing a shock of long, brown hair. The woman sighed as she breathed in cleaner air than the helmet could provide and when she opened her eyes, he could see that they were hazel colored. She was around forty, Shepard had to guess, a woman who looked tired of where her life had gotten her into. There was a distinct sadness about her, but she was trying to hide that as best as she could.

"Sorry, Commander Shepard," she dipped her head gracefully. "These helmets always come equipped with a voice scrambler that lowers our pitch to avoid detection. I guess it made mine seem a bit deeper than you were expecting." She pursed her lips expectedly. "Or is it because I'm a woman that surprises you?"

"The helmets kind of threw me off," he replied, Tali still in his mind. "I don't really care about what gender you are. But you still haven't told me who you people really are and what's really going on." He gazed around the small room, glimpsing the rigging of the refinery clinging to the rock wall in the background. "And for that matter, where the hell am I?"

"Okay," Deborah held up her hands. "Relax, commander. Don't try to take things too fast."

"Screw that," Shepard shot back. "I'm done taking things slow. All this time I've been two steps behind everyone and I'm frankly tired of that. I want answers right _now_."

"That sounds reasonable," Deborah nodded encouragingly, trying to diffuse the mood before things got explosive. "But first, let me introduce myself. I'm Deborah, the leader of Genex Site Theta 3. Behind me is Zlette, our in-house armorer-"

The person she gestured to took off his helmet and an angry pair of red eyes stared back at Shepard. After getting over the shock at seeing the vorcha underneath the armor, Shepard conceded that their species always looked particularly sour. He didn't hold it against the alien.

"Interius, our medic-"

"Charmed," the turian said as he began scanning Shepard's body with his omni-tool. "You know that you have multiple fractures on your rib cage, soldier?"

"You don't say," Shepard painfully rasped.

-And this is Alec, one of our best workers," Deborah finished nodding to the taller person behind her.

At her words, the helmet came off and a bearded man of about thirty stared back at Shepard. His hair was medium-length and greasy. His eyes were beady and small and, unlike the vorcha, he deliberately fixed a grimace on his face, the same kind of attitude that Shepard had picked out back in the cell block.

"You better be worth all this hassle," Alec growled as he slammed his rifle on a nearby table. "We lost Shaw because of your delaying. Any more deaths and our little adventure with you up there will have all been for nothing."

"Wait, Shaw's dead?" Interius asked in the middle of his examination. "Damn, I liked Shaw."

Shepard felt his face grow hot. "I didn't _ask_ for you – any of you - to come save me," he defended, his eyes making sure to touch every person so that he wasn't speaking just to one person. "If you're looking for an apology then you're asking the wrong person. Right now I'm feeling a little more angry than grateful at the moment. You rescued me, but forced me into a position where I had to leave a crewmate, someone I trusted with my life, behind. Your presence set up that confrontation with Grevel back in there and now I've broken the bond between a leader and the people under his command by practically abandoning them. Do not blame me for your man's death-"

"You're fucking _wrong_ that I can't!" Alec bellowed as he kicked a chair over. "Shaw didn't matter to you because you didn't _know_ him! Just like my brother before him! They were both killed and you don't even give a shit!"

Shepard attempted to stand up but Interius placed both hands on his shoulders, keeping him situated in place. "Easy, Shepard," the turian said.

Deborah swiftly stepped in between the two, glaring at Alec. "That's enough. Get some air, right now."

Alec breathed heavily, spittle flecking his beard. "I didn't fucking ask to save _him_."

"Go, Alec!"

With a muffled curse, Alec wheeled about and marched out the clinic door. Zlette looked around uncomfortably before retreating after the human. Deborah looked furious for a second before she calmed down and approached Shepard. "I apologize, commander. He's been…tense as of late."

"I'd say you're understating the problem," Shepard said as Interius began to dab at his cheek with some medi-gel. "You let all your subordinates off the leash like that?"

Her face hardened. "Listen, Shepard. Don't compare me to whatever structured life you've been comfortably accustomed to because I've never lived it. I've been managing a slew of refugees in this place that depend on me to make their decisions for them while the outside world has been trying to kill them. I may be the one elected by popular democracy but that does not mean that I'm a natural leader. You think it's easy to manage the lives of two hundred souls when your previous occupation was only managing a group of ten doing a regular job? No, Shepard. My subordinates have no leash because I can't really control them. This isn't the military and you don't know the hell we've been through."

"_I'd_ say that you've done a good job," Interius shrugged.

"Well, you're right," Shepard admitted. "I might not have experienced the hell you've been through but that does not mean that I don't understand. I get it; you've got batarians up there taking slaves like it's hunting season. You took refuge in here, wherever here is, to elude them. But you're scared, you know that they're searching for you, you know they have an idea where you are and you know that eventually, they will find you and it will all be over."

"Is that _all_ you know?" Deborah asked with a dry smile.

Shepard slapped his knees emphatically. "Yes, that about covers it from whatever I can remember."

"Interius, the data," Deborah said, causing the turian to retreat back to his workstation and type at some keys frantically. "Firstly," she began, "some history about this place would be beneficial to you. As you've probably guessed by now, we're not soldiers. We aren't even what you'd call a militia. We're former workers from Genex Chemical who have resided in this place for little over a year now. There's about a couple of hundred people living in this refinery at the moment. You're at what used to be a GC site for methane production, actually."

"So everyone here is all part of the corporation?"

"Most of us were local. Some like Zlette and Interius were outsourced from other divisions. The weapons and suits were left behind by our security detail. Our being here was a mixed blessing because we were reasonably well hidden when the chaos started on this planet. Only it's made the waiting a bit more unbearable, if you know what I mean."

"But why does everything look run down?" Shepard indicated the shantytown look of the refinery outside. "Surely a large corporation such as GC would have the funds to keep this place running reasonably well."

"That would be true, but I used the past tense earlier. '_Former'_ workers instead of '_current_.' The company left in a hurry and they didn't exactly do a good job of locking up after themselves. It was just one day that they all just up and left and most of us simply chose to stay here. We'd been living here for some time and we didn't really feel the need to leave just yet."

"But why did they leave?"

"You have to understand the purpose behind their operation here. This is our interior location, housed in a dormant volcano for our more…_secretive_ ventures."

"What sort of secretive ventures?" Shepard asked, almost rolling his eyes. "Worried that I'll give away any company secrets if you tell me?"

"Oh god, no," Deborah snorted. "That ship has sailed as far as I'm concerned. What I'm getting to is that Genex Chemical left the place when it found out that its workers were contaminated from one of the methane shafts. More like they knew about the contamination, but once the workers discovered that _they_ were contaminated, Genex abandoned the site rather than face any liability, knowing that us poor Anhurians could not afford passage off-planet to inform the proper authorities and enact the judicial process fairly. Also, it's not like we had any contacts from friends in high places. And we'd find no help from the local government on Anhur as they're all completely corrupt."

"Wait, slow down. You mentioned that the shaft was contaminated. Contaminated with what?"

Interius reached behind his desk and produced a clear cylinder which he handed to Deborah. Inside the cylinder was a dull grey rock, but as the light shifted with its position, Shepard could see tiny particles flickering inside the stone.

"This is an example of the contamination that plagued the methane shaft," Deborah explained. "It went unnoticed by us because it looks very unassuming, but what the higher-ups in the company figured out before us was that the entire volcano shaft was loaded with igneous rock laced with eezo."

"Element zero…" Shepard mused, recalling the rare material that served as fuel for starships across the galaxy. An odd material and incredibly radioactive in its own right, element zero was the key towards faster than light travel that had been responsible for promoting trade and connecting countless planets together.

"Yep," Deborah smiled. "Instead of mining methane, we were actually mining eezo and we didn't even know it."

Shepard could feel his chest getting tighter. "But…shouldn't that mean that this entire area is infected with eezo as well? Because you've mined the stuff out in the open shouldn't there be some risk for contamination?"

"Not really. We sealed off the shaft once we learned the truth and the heat does a great job of vaporizing whatever particles are in the air rather quickly. We go around from time to time, scanning all parts of the refinery to make sure that there aren't any more contaminations, just to be sure."

"So that's it?" Shepard asked. "You just had an element zero contamination and that was that?"

"Not quite," Deborah said, obviously holding something back. "Since we are unsure about the properties of eezo as a substance completely as a galactic society, when faced with exposure, which most of us were when we were mining, eezo behaves weirdly in certain situations. Like, for example, if you take an enormous drill grinding up the laced rocks into a fine powder, and letting the powder become superheated from the extreme heat of the volcano for just seconds, they become microparticles. Those microparticles then are able to penetrate fiber and flesh and reside there, latching themselves into the host and dispersing the eezo inside."

"Common explanation of eezo poisoning," Shepard added. "That sort of thing is usually attributable to biotic abilities in humans if they are exposed in utero."

"That's not even the best part," Deborah said grimly, gesturing to Interius.

The turian cleared his throat as he tapped at a control on the datascreen that now shone in front of Shepard. Detailed digitally was a familiar dual-strand double-helix shaped form that Shepard recognized immediately.

"A DNA strand," he voiced out loud.

"A _human_ DNA strand," Interius added. "Note the nucleobases." He tapped at a key, creating a blue stream to suddenly streak towards the projected strand. "Observe what happens when the superheated microparticles of element zero are introduced."

Shepard did watch. He saw that whenever the tiny blue fragments collided with the DNA, a small area of the molecule glowed a cool blue before absorbing the particle. It eventually faded back to its original digitized color but many times the DNA was shown as being bombarded by the element zero particles. At the end of the demonstration, Shepard saw that the DNA was emitting a slight blue aura around it, wavering as it was perpetually humming radiation.

Interius paused the show. "Of course, that was all just an extravagant display of the actual truth but as to what it depicts, it is very much reality."

Shepard was uncomprehending. "_What_ is true?"

Deborah stepped in, gesturing to the modified DNA. "That the humans who were in this very location during the mining process were being subtly changed by the eezo. For some reason, it never affected other alien species quite so massively, but all of the humans, including me, are walking proof of the wonders that eezo can do."

"And that is?"

Leaning against the table, Deborah's tone quieted. "That the eezo latched itself onto our DNA. Our genetic code is laced with the key to unlocking biotic potential for humans. For us, the abilities have yet to manifest, but because eezo is in our very genes, we have the ability to transfer this gift. In essence, we have the ability to make biotics a genetic _trait_."

Shepard breathed out, not seeing this coming at all. His mind was whirling in several different directions. One was wondering what Tali would think of this, the other was examining the possible repercussions of such a revelation. It was almost too crazy to believe.

"So…if you reproduce," Shepard clarified, "There's a good chance that your children will be able to manifest biotics? Like the asari?"

"And their children after them," Deborah proclaimed proudly. "And their children too. I doubt this was the sort of outcome Genex expected, but we've made it work for us. I bet they just expected us to manifest cancerous tumors, not achieve a new inheritable trait."

Shepard gave a quiet chuckle, staring back at the DNA animation which had started playing again. "Such an ability would be highly prized," he admitted. "People might be willing to…"

He broke off, his mouth dropping slightly. Shepard's eyes slightly widened as he redlined his brain once more, searching the very depths of his mind as the pieces began to slowly connect.

_Grevel wanted some humans alive, but the others he didn't care about. Why?_

_Grevel made a big deal about that one person accidentally killed in the field because she 'tested positive.' What if she had tested positive for eezo contamination?_

_Grevel wants the eezo infected humans so he can turn them over for a profit! He's nothing more than a glorified slaver trading people for money!_

_And he's got his hands on Tali._

Recovering his facial expression as fast as possible, Shepard could not trap the low growl that escaped his throat. His hands slowly began crushing the edges of the metal table, leaving his handprints permanently indented in the wobbly aluminum surface.

_I need to get to Tali._

* * *

><p>The pounding at the door was relentless, but Grevel had muted the audio feeds inside his helmet. There was still a slight vibration from the angry batarian outside the security station, but it could go unnoticed as he continued to sit in solitude.<p>

"Grevel!" Zherl roared outside. "Open this door immediately! I demand an explanation for all the disruptions today!"

Grevel ignored him, fully intending to not comprehend what the damned alien was bitching about. He obviously wanted some sort of report from all the gunfire that happened in the interior cell block. Why Zherl couldn't get that sort of report from his own men was beyond Grevel entirely. Maybe he just wanted to chew the mercenary out some more, not fully knowing that his life was on the line in Grevel's book.

The right side of the security console was sticky with blood, still drying from the batarian that Grevel had plowed through the screen. There was nothing to clean the mess up so Grevel had just kicked the two bodies in the corner to dispose of later when Zherl had left him alone. This would push the number of batarians killed into the teens, he reckoned. This was the sort of behavior that was generally frowned upon come a performance review.

Nevertheless, Grevel cared less about the lives of the batarians that he had snuffed out over the past few weeks but was more intrigued at the welfare of the lone human that had managed to escape. Silently, he tapped on a few keys and a screen booted up the events leading to Shepard's flight from confinement.

Watching the entire series of events unfold only made Grevel madder, however. Here was deliberate evidence that something foul had been afoot and the idiots who were at this station did not even notice until Grevel had walked in himself! Perhaps he was doing Zherl a favor by weeding out all of the poor performers in this little army of his.

The whole sequence flashed by uninterrupted, Grevel watching from multiple angles on the screens in front of him. His mask was illuminated by the moving pictures, the light bending around the curves and grooves, shining from the metallic jaw to cast him in an eerie light.

Once it ended, on a whim Grevel rewound the footage to last night, when he had thrown Shepard into the cell with Tali for a few minutes. This was a common tactic used by the humans, he had learned. A few centuries ago, some civilizations liked to give their prisoners time with each other to converse. This made separating them much harder on the psyche, making them easier to bend to whatever their captors demanded of them. Grevel had been looking forward to seeing how Shepard would have reacted, but he was now gone.

Perhaps the whole ordeal was not a total loss, though. Grevel looked up at the corner and saw Tali curled up in a fetal position in the corner her cell. This was the real-time feed; she had stopped crying shortly after Shepard had fled and now she was trying to comfort herself by entering a troubled sleep.

Grevel continued to look at the image as he pressed the play button, his attention gradually drawn to the images projected towards him. He unmuted the speakers on his helmet and found the blessed silence from outside gratifying. Zherl must have given up on trying to draw him out.

Sounds of a scuffle caused Grevel to lean into the image, peering closely. The video was showing the exact moment when Shepard was being dragged off of Tali, how they pleaded for more time together. Grevel couldn't help smiling but froze when the quarian threw herself forward and shouted something unintelligible. His head shot up, having caught the faint trace of a word that started with an _L_ in there. He rewound the tape a few seconds and concentrated hard.

On the screen, Tali shouted, "_I l…ou!_"

Damn. There was still too much interference from the scuffling and the noise from the guards. Grevel isolated the audio clip and projected it on the monitor directly in front of him. A jagged burst of lines running left to right spanned the screen, the visualization of noise.

Grevel highlighted the clip and set the console to automatically reduce the noise level. The audio lines thinned somewhat and Grevel played the clip again.

"_I lo…ou!"_

Still not good enough.

Now Grevel activated the dynamic range compressor, a dialogue box popping up to indicate what modifications he wanted to make. He equalized the noise thresholds by three units, applied a gain to the overall mix, and set the level of compression to a ration of two to one. He waited until the console finished the modifications and then he played the clip one last time.

On the screen, Tali surged forward and screamed, "_I love you!_"

Grevel froze, hardly daring to believe it. His palms were face down on the console and he gradually drew himself up, staring with bated breath at the recording. He was not mistaken but such a revelation like this was…exhilarating. Unexpected, but exciting nonetheless.

_I now have my new line of questioning_, Grevel thought decisively.

With a slender finger, Grevel pushed down the transmit button and waited for the guard to pick up. After a delay (most likely caused from the guard noticing the ID of who was calling) the call connected.

"Operant Grevel!" the batarian greeted politely, with a slight shake in his voice. "Uh…what can I do for you?"

"Listen closely," Grevel leaned down so that his mask was only a foot away from the audio transmitter. "I need you to retrieve the quarian from the interior cells and put her in the interrogation room. I don't want any questions and I don't want Zherl to know about this. Am I understood?"

"P-Perfectly!" came the panicked voice on the other end. "When did you want this done, sir?"

"I'm on my way down right now. That gives you a five minute window. I'm not in a particularly patient mood right now so I would prefer it if she was in that room in that time frame. You know what happens to people when I get impatient, yes?"

"I do!" the batarian almost yelled in panic. "I'm on my way to bring her in right now!"

"Glad to hear it," Grevel rasped as he disconnected the call.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: At least I had all of yesterday to recover from my traveling ordeal. Driving for four hours after a six hour flight is not particularly good for anyone's health.**_

_**Regardless, more exciting and tense things are on the horizon so keep your eyes peeled! I'd like to have another chapter done this week if my schedule permits it, so I'd better not goof off.**_

_**As always, read and review!**_


	8. Chapter 8: Peeling Away the Layers

The tight rope bit at Tali's wrists, despite the fact that her enviro-suit provided a good measure of protection. Her arms ached as she hung, keeping her knees an inch off the ground, and her feet painfully scraped the floor behind her.

She tried very hard not to look at the blood stains right in front of her, just a few feet slightly down and to the right. They stood out on the dusty white floor, multiple blotches from a huge spray. It looked like someone had been punched heavily, spewing their blood in an arc across the ground. Without anyone having told her, Tali knew that Shepard had spent some time here previously. This is where he was beaten up, where he had received the majority of his wounds. This was _his_ blood all around her.

Tali couldn't stop shaking, her fear beginning to eat at her. The rafters creaked as she gently swung from side to side, her raised arms twitching from the slight movement. A lone bulb shone down on her, casting the edges of the room in total darkness. She had completely lost all track of time in this place. How long had it been since Shepard had left? Hours? Minutes?

_He promised that he would come back for me. Keelah, please come soon._

A single tear ran down her cheek as she began to sob quietly in anguish, her helplessness and abandonment completely drowning her. She clenched her teeth but could not stop her soft weeping, not in this place. She was alone and afraid, with enemies completely surrounding her. What hope could she have of making it out of this place?

She hated losing control of herself like this. Tali rarely found an occasion to cry out loud anymore, having steeled herself for the hardships of the galaxy since she had first received her enviro-suit. Crying was a sign of weakness, she could not afford to remain vulnerable like this. She couldn't even recall the last time she had done such a thing, but here she was about to crack open like a raw egg. All because of one human, an alien.

"J-John…" she whispered miserably.

With a _slam_, a door opened behind her, making Tali jolt. Her wrists bumped against the bound rope that held her aloft, making her wince as fresh cuts began to form underneath. Tali could feel warm blood begin to trickle down her arms, the sensation hot and raw. She didn't want to turn around. She didn't want to know who was behind her and what they were going to do.

There was silence at first and then a pair of quiet footsteps on the concrete. Whoever they were, they were taking their time in reaching her, perhaps they enjoyed seeing her in such a state.

Like she would give them the satisfaction.

"You can hurt me all you want," Tali spat in a newfound rage, still not turning around. "But you'll be lucky if I talk before you kill me."

"I think that I'm capable of preventing that from happening, Tali'Zorah," a deep voice sounded, seemingly coming from all over the walls. With a clanking of heavy boots, Grevel stepped into Tali's view, his coat streaked with dust and his helmet slightly scratched. "I'm well aware at what's at stake for you."

The armored figure, in the light, looked like the specter of death. The skull-like mask was wreathed in shadow and the red eyes were the only point of reference that Tali could instantly pick out. Slight crinkling noises from the bodysuit around Grevel shifting from his movements were the only sounds made constantly from him.

"You know _nothing_ of me," Tali seethed.

"That is where you're wrong," Grevel asserted. The edges of the mask wrapped up in a smile and the hulking figure walked over to one of the darkened walls. Reaching out, he procured a foldable chair and set it down a few feet away from where Tali dangled. With not a sound, Grevel sat upon it, the thin frame creaking from the added weight. "This is where you delve deep into your courage in an effort to shield yourself from me. But your defenses have been erected too late. I happen to know more about you than…say, _Shepard_, for instance."

"Liar," Tali growled, her eyes murderous behind her visor.

Grevel's hand waved dismissively. "You think you can hide yourself from me, hide who you truly are behind that mask, don't you? That's the funny thing about quarians; they always think that they're so unreadable. But, as experience has shown, they're just as easy to crack as anyone."

"_Shepard_ didn't crack," Tali shot towards Grevel.

The mask considered her for a moment. "You're right. He did not crack, he _fled_. He left you to your fate while he got himself to safety. He _abandoned_ you, Tali'Zorah. Is it better to crack, in that instance, or flee?"

"He did not leave me!" Tali cried, her jerky movements causing the rope to cut deeper into her wrists.

Grevel glowered for a second. "Time will tell if your words will ring true. It makes no difference right now. Shepard will not rescue you from our little chat. That gives me plenty of time for me to get to know your deepest, darkest secrets."

"You assume I have secrets to tell," Tali laughed defiantly. "I can save you the trouble and the disappointment. Don't even waste your time."

"Oh? But that won't do at all, little quarian. I have to make sure that everything in your mind is laid bare. I will look inside, regardless of how much you continue to delay. And within a very short time, I will know you better than anyone else in this galaxy."

"Go right ahead," Tali growled. "I won't talk to the likes of someone like you. But you happen to be forgetting something. I know a lot about _you_, you _bosh'tet_."

Grevel was intrigued by this. "Really? By all means, share. What could you possibly know about me that I haven't managed to piece together myself for the last six years? Go on, spill."

"You're nothing but a coward," Tali fumed, her anger and pain fueling her. "You're just as pathetic as Saren. You couldn't kill J-…_Shepard_ when you had the chance, you monster. You kept him alive in a cell to play to your own sick ends. You enjoyed basking in his pain, just as you're doing to me right now. You're nothing but a frightened thug because I know you're scared of _him_."

The smile on the mask seemed to grow even wider. "How come you almost called the commander by his first name?" he asked, disregarding everything else Tali said.

"What?" Tali's head shot up, caught off guard. "I…I wasn't…I didn't-"

"I would advise against lying to _me_, Tali'Zorah," Grevel's voice turned dangerous. "I am unfortunately perceptive in that regard and I _know_ that you almost referred to the commander as 'John' just seconds ago."

"What difference does it make what I choose to call him?" Tali gritted, fighting against her bonds to focus her mind on something else. "Do you fear his name just as much as you fear the man, coward?"

Grevel's mask shot forward so that it was less than a few inches from Tali's visor. "I am no _coward_," Grevel hissed. "And you have no idea who I am, either. Who I am is unimportant because I am no one, yet I am someone. There is a difference, quarian, between the two. Although you may never realize it because you will never fully understand the path I've traveled. It is that path that has brought me here, to this wretched planet, to you and Shepard. You think that I can't kill him, when in fact I have no desire to do so. My reasons for keeping Shepard alive are beyond your meager comprehension and it is your attachment to him that intrigues me and has changed my plan ever so slightly."

"_Attachment?_" Tali responded hastily. "I…I don't-"

"You are an unknown variable, Tali'Zorah. Your very presence has altered the outcome of this encounter. I know that you believe me because I have seen how you react, how you watch and feel for the commander as he has guided you throughout this place. Perhaps it is only natural for some infatuation to form in the presence of such a…" Grevel sniffed, "…a _noble_ human."

"There is _no_ infatuation!" Tali lied, herself simultaneously feeling an ache in her chest as she said the words. "I don't even know what you're talking about!"

Grevel was amused at her obvious attempts to stem the conversation but his mood quickly grew colder. "Lie to me again, quarian," he threatened, "and I'll hurt you. It is pointless to deny something so obvious that it would take a complete dullard to not notice." In a deathly quiet voice, Grevel whispered, "Does he even know how you feel about him?"

"Intimidate me all you want, you bastard!" Tali shouted, tears beginning to sting her eyes. "Batter me to your heart's content but know that I will _murder_ you if you lay a hand on me and Shepard will make sure that whatever is left gets ground up into a pulp so finely that you will be unrecognizable in the afterlife! I'll _kill_ you for this!"

Grevel laughed, the sound a booming noise that was unlike anything Tali had ever heard before. "Brave quarian," Grevel growled admiringly. "You really _would_ take the pain, wouldn't you? Perhaps you were braver than I was, actually."

Tali didn't respond, but let her eyes burn so brightly that she imagined a hole searing its way through Grevel's skull.

Still chuckling, Grevel shook his head. "Perhaps, Tali'Zorah, you are fortunate in the fact that I do not intend to lay a hand on you. Your natural…_impediment_ being only part of the problem I face." Red eyes glanced sourly at Tali's enviro-suit, knowing that if he exposed her to the atmosphere, there was a strong chance that her weakened immune system would not be able to protect her from the foreign microbes in the air, effectively killing her.

The masked figure leaned back on the chair, taking in the helpless sight of Tali as she still continued to stir feebly. "Admittedly, I've not encountered a problem with torturing quarians before. There are always ways of making people talk. Many of these ways, unfortunately, involve rather _intrusive_ manners that are hardly recoverable from." Grevel took great pleasure at watching Tali squirm for a bit before he pointed a finger at her. "That is not your fate, Tali'Zorah. I have no reason to even hurt you physically at all."

He stood up, kicking away the chair as he did so. "I've tortured, Tali'Zorah. I've tortured people for information, I've even tortured them for fun. But interestingly, I do not wish to physically torture you because it would be neither informative nor gratifying. Your situation, in fact, is a lot like mine, when_ I_ was tortured years ago for no reason."

Tali's head shot up to see Grevel deliberately tapping at his mask. "Y-You…?"

"Why do you think I wear a mask? Keep every part of my body hidden behind cloth and armor? Trust me, Tali'Zorah, you haven't known true pain and you probably never will. That's a fate I wouldn't wish upon anyone lightly. And if you could imagine the most unbearable pain you've ever experienced, you'll come to realize that I'm being truthful about that."

The quarian's eyes were gradually widening in fear as the black demon continued to speak and her breathing gradually increased as Grevel kneeled down next to her, his voice quiet. "You will never know how it feels to hold the one you love after her skull had been smashed in, her brains spilling over your hands, leaving her dying in your arms. You will never know what it's like to have pieces of your skin torn off and roasted in front of you, only to watch your captors consume it with glee. You will never know the pain of the hot knifes pressing to your skin, cauterizing your wounds so that you won't bleed out right away. You will never be unwilling to look in your face in the mirror out of fear of your hideousness, quarian. I envy you, actually."

The mask's jaw smiled but the eyes remained melancholy. "And I do hope that you never experience the pain, the humility, the absolute horror when the rapes come after your captors become bored with slicing into you. I've been there, Tali'Zorah. The vorcha who took everything from me did not allow mercy for me. I know what it feels like to have my ruined body continuously violated again and again and _again_. Men and woman both, it made no difference to the monsters that did it to me. Compared to them, quarian, I am a _saint_."

Grevel's hand rose and almost touched Tali's arm, causing her to gasp, but he carefully stopped himself so that it orbited around her head, a careful gesture but not touching her at all. "You don't deserve that. No one does. Only a monster would do such a thing for sport. I am no monster, Tali'Zorah. I _hurt_ the monsters that choose to defile people so objectively. Rape can change a person so extensively that they undergo a change, leaving who they were behind. You will not be subject to that kind of abuse, for I know of no one else who hates rapists more than I."

The creepiness surrounding Grevel was beginning to unnerve Tali. "Please…" she said softly. "Please just…just let me go. I don't…I don't want you to _hurt_ me."

"I will not hurt your body, Tali'Zorah. It's your mind I'm really after."

"Why?" Tali begged. "Why are you even doing this to me?"

Grevel shrugged. "Because I was hired to do a job and I intend to see that job performed all the way through. You're valuable to Shepard and I know that he will return to get you…soon. I intend to have you in an agreeable position when he comes calling, but all of that depends on what you do right here, right now."

"What…what do you want me to do?"

"All will become clear. Of course, you can rest easy knowing that you will emerge from this without a scratch on you. I'd consider myself lucky if I could even feel pain…or anything for that matter. After countless hours of physical abuse on your body, the nerve endings just shut down, everything being completely fried. On one hand, I feel nothing which is advantageous in a fight, but I'd really give anything so that I could have that sensation back." Grevel looked closely at the trembling quarian. "Actually, you might know something about not being able to feel, wouldn't you?"

Before Tali could respond, Grevel rose to his feet and walked a few paces back. "Another interesting thing about torture, quarian, is that it tends to leave a dramatic impression on the mind. When I was left for dead and subsequently rescued, I forgot all but the most upsetting moments of my life from that point on. I even forgot my own _name_, now can you imagine being so damaged that you could forget something so sacred as your own _name?_"

Tali wished she could shrink into the floor, feeling very much like a tiny insect as Grevel towered over her, the jawbone clacking in fury. "Are you even aware of the significance of the name I chose, Tali'Zorah? _Grevel_. Surely it must sound familiar to you?"

Too frightened to speak and too disoriented to think properly, Tali slowly shook her head in response.

Grevel chuckled, his eyes narrowing in amusement. "It was not a name that I had any connection to previously. When the time came, I had to choose an assortment of words from which others would call me by. I wanted my new name to mean nothing to the average outsider but have it represent who I truly was to myself. I wear it proudly, in memory of the name I once had. Do you now see who I am, quarian?"

Tali just whimpered fearfully.

The mask leaned in closer, the static from the vocabulator distorting the voice slightly. "It's simple. Don't you remember? I thought all quarians knew the stories. A _gre'vel_ in Khelish translates to a 'demon of the soul.' That is what I am, Tali'Zorah; your own personal demon. A _ghost_."

Helpless, Tali began to cry.

* * *

><p>"Absolutely not!" Deborah nearly shouted.<p>

Shepard frowned. "I don't think you're in any position to argue, Deborah."

Deborah threw up her hands in exasperation. "You know, we just lost a man retrieving you and you want to go back _in there_? For what? To retrieve a quarian?"

Shepard slammed his fist down on the med bay desk, causing a glass to fall off and shatter. "_She is not just a quarian!_" he screamed, the noise overpowering in the cramped room. Deborah's eyes widened and Interius visibly jumped at the loud outburst. Breathing heavily, sweat beading on his brow from the stifling heat, Shepard spoke in a quieter tone. "Tali is my friend and I told you, I have a duty to retrieve her. No matter the circumstances, I must get to her."

Interius glanced at Deborah for confirmation, who only shook her head. "You know, Shepard, when one of my scouts reported that you were on Anhur and that you had been taken captive, I thought that they were straight-up lying to my face. I kept on telling myself: '_Commander Shepard would never involve himself in something like this_.' But then I started to question myself, question whether such an improbable occurrence could actually be probable. Everyone here-" she gestured out the window towards the cliffside colony, "-has heard of you and what you did. You're not just any soldier to them, Shepard. You're _the_ soldier. And I would have risked the lives of _ten_ to get you back to us so that you could finally free us from the oppression of the batarians."

Shepard tapped on his arms, a low sigh escaping from him. "I didn't ask to be put in such a position. Hell, I didn't even know there was a war going on here! And now you drag me to this place and you want me to fight an entire planetary force for you?"

"Of course I didn't expect for you to fight them alone! You're part of the Alliance and a Council Spectre! You can request reinforcements from them and wait here until they've sorted everything out-"

"-And by that time it will be too late," Shepard interrupted with a hand. "Tali might be dead and I will have only wasted time sitting here. Also, how exactly did you plan on me contacting anyone from the Council or the Alliance? I doubt you people have a spare quantum transmitter or anything capable of flight lying around else my presence here would become rather secondary."

Deborah's face was blank. "Con…Contact? What do you mean? Don't you have a ship equipped with a transmitter? How did you even arrive on Anhur in the first place?"

"Came in a shuttle," Shepard replied evenly. "It was trashed immediately. As for the ship, it's parked in another star cluster billions of light years away. By the date on my omni-tool, it looks like I've only been here on Anhur only five days. We've been operating on a relaxed schedule with the Normandy so they're not going to swing by to check up on me until day seven. That's two full days from now, Deborah, which is too long to wait. There's no telling what kind of trauma Tali's undergoing in there. I have to save her, or else I'll never forgive myself."

"What is it exactly with this Tali?" Deborah asked, her arms flinging up wildly. "The way you talk about her it's like she's your…_lover_ or something."

Shepard's face turned hot and his heart skipped a beat at that, but he regained his composure before anyone could notice. "I told you before…" he growled. "Tali is one of my best crewmembers and also a close friend. I was – am – her commanding officer and I do not leave anyone behind."

"It sounds to me like you're letting your personal feelings get in the way," Deborah smirked, her arms crossed over her chest.

Shepard was not normally prone to acts of violence but he found himself inflicted with a serious urge to slap this damnable woman to the other side of the room. "I _have_ to save her," he protested. "She's counting on me to do just that."

"So?" Deborah shrugged. "People counted on me to do the same thing. You think you're the only one grief-stricken right now? Everyone here, we're not as well off as you, Shepard. For us, the people we care about are already dead. In fact, despite us saving you from what would have been a pretty painful death, you haven't been very grateful."

"_I didn't ask to be saved!_" Shepard roared, stepping towards Deborah and drawing himself up to his full height.

Interius quickly stepped between them, his arms splayed out, pushing the two humans away from each other. "All right, cool it!" he barked. "We can't afford this sort of infighting, not right now!"

"What infighting?" Shepard laughed bitterly as he stumbled away. "I'm not even part of your side. Not technically at least. What you did to me is comparable to kidnapping, actually. You took me away from my squadmate, you _forced_ me to abandon her, and now you are trying to control my conduct by having you carry out any objectives that you have set in place?"

Deborah stepped to the side and her hand twitched towards something at her belt. "Had we allowed you to continue to attempt at rescuing your squadmate, you would most certainly have been killed. You don't think you're being treated fairly, Shepard?"

Shepard detected the movement and quickly drew his pistol, pointing it at Deborah's head before she could even draw her own sidearm. "I think that I've been taken for granted this whole time," he replied.

"Shepard!" Interius shouted, shocked. "What are you doing? Put the gun down!"

Deborah merely smiled, slowly trailing her hand away from the gun she had strapped to her. "That's not very hospitable of you."

"To hell with hospitality," Shepard grimaced, the gun not wavering in his grip. "I'm wagering that I would have been better off in the cage. At least the company would have been a lot nicer."

"Shepard!" Interius yelled again.

With a thud, the side door sprang open and Alec followed by Zlette, drawn by the noise, rushed in, out of breath. When they saw Shepard pointing a gun at Deborah, they immediately started reaching for their own guns.

"Don't!" Interius shouted. "He'll shoot Deborah if you pull on him!"

"I'm not going to shoot anyone!" Shepard hollered, sweat dripping into his eyes.

"That makes things a lot easier, then," Alec growled before he suddenly sprang his assault rifle up, sights firmly fixed upon Shepard's chest.

"Human!" Zlette hissed at Alec, horrified.

"Shut up, Zlette!" Alec yelled, looking at the vorcha as he did so. That gave Shepard just enough time to turn his gun in Alec's direction, away from Deborah, but he still did not pull the trigger.

"Put the gun down, Alec," Shepard said, a little more calmly than before.

"Fuck you! You first!"

"Alec…please don't make me a liar."

"So what?" Alec laughed harshly. "Are you suggesting that you, Commander Shepard, are going to shoot me in cold blood? Really?" The man tightened his grip on the rifle. "I'm not putting anything down, Shepard. It's your decision."

Zlette's eyes were wide. Interius was slowly inching toward the door. Deborah had a tiny smile upon her face, one that signified a hint of superiority. Alec, in spite of the sweat pouring down his face, remained unblinking behind the scope of his gun, watching Shepard's every move.

Sighing, Shepard carefully moved his thumb and flicked the safety on the pistol off. Weary, he let his arm fall gently down until the gun was safely back in its holster. That felt like a ton had suddenly lifted off his chest. With a huge sigh, Shepard wilted. "This would have been a lot easier if you just left me be."

"Sure, Shepard," Alec responded sarcastically. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Maybe then we could have saved someone else who would show their gratitude better than pointing a gun in our faces. We could have grabbed my brother or Deborah's husband when the time was right but no, we waited and now they're both dead and-"

Deborah waved her hand, cutting Alec off. Quickly realizing that he said too much, the man lowered his rifle but trained his eyes back on Shepard again, the uncomfortable gaze never leaving his face.

Claiming the silence before anyone else could speak, Shepard took a breath. "I know I was not what any of you were expecting, but I have my own agenda to follow. I'm not staying here and I'm not going to run away, not when Tali's life is on the line."

"Fucking _Tali_ again," Alec whispered mockingly.

Shepard ignored him and now glared at Deborah. "I sympathize with you. Really, I do. But I'm in a position to actually do the best amount of good, both for me and for you."

She arched an eyebrow. "Exactly how is rescuing a _quarian_ benefiting me and everyone here?"

Dumbfounded, Shepard took a second to breathe in carefully. "Consider the prospects. You have no adequate means of communication and no mode of transportation to get out of here. And even if you did, you have no contacts outside of this planet to properly relay your plight through the proper channels. You explained to me how you happen to lack friends in higher places. Well, I'm the only friend you have who happens to _inhabit_ that higher place. And where do you think the closest space-worthy vessel is currently residing?"

Deborah's face fell as she considered his words. "The hangar…" she said softly.

"Exactly, and Tali is also in that hangar. So it is actually in your best interests to let me go there. On the other hand, I don't need you to tell me what to do. I'm going to that hangar as soon as I'm able and I'm going to spring her and then I'll steal a ship and get the hell off of this planet." Shepard paused for a second to let his words sink in. "And once I reach Citadel space, I'll tell everyone about what's happening here. I'll let them know what the batarians are doing. I can pull that off for you."

"You liar!" Alec stepped forward, arms tensed. "You'll just forget about us, you selfish prick!"

"Enough!" Deborah barked, causing Alec to step back slightly. To Shepard, she fixated him with a stern stare before proceeding. "And why should I hold you to that? I mean, you _did_ pull a gun on me."

Shepard swallowed before steeling his expression. "If you really know who I am, then you should be aware that I never abandon anyone in need. No one gets left behind."

_No one gets left behind, huh? Heh…sorry, Ashley._

Deborah moved her head so that a stray bit of hair fluttered out of her eyes. She put her hands on her hips, sizing the commander up. Alec's wiry frame was swaying as he scratched his beard, eager for a fight. Zlette and Interius were continually glancing between the other, wondering if they should make a quick exit in case things went south very quickly.

With a slight nod, Deborah sighed. "You do make a convincing argument, Shepard. If you feel then that's the best course of action, then I won't impede you any further." She turned her head to the side. "Zlette?"

"Yes, Deborah?" the vorcha asked timidly.

"Go grab a set of the best armaments from the armory. Shepard needs to be properly equipped if he wants to head out there." As the vorcha hurried along, Deborah shot Shepard a smile. "You should also get something to eat from the mess before you go. No way that you can tackle that place in the shape you are now."

"Thanks, Deborah," Shepard said graciously, relieved at the dissipating tension.

"Also," she added, "I know it's probably not what you want but I insist on you taking a few of my people with you. You'll need the extra firepower."

"Who did you have in mind?" Shepard asked cautiously.

"I was thinking Zlette, and Interius – since he's now our best hacker since Shaw's now gone, and I would have to make Alec come along, since he's our best shot."

"What?" Shepard and Alec said at the same time. "Deborah, please!" Alec protested. "I'm not risking my life for a fucking quarian. Why should I listen to this asshole when he's going to stab us in the back anyway?"

Clearly seeing Shepard smolder and roll his eyes simultaneously, Deborah flared her nostrils before addressing Alec. "Now look here, mister. I might not like it any more than you but if our chances of getting out of here alive are going upward with your involvement, then you're just going to have to work with Shepard for the duration of the mission."

"But-"

"No buts, Alec. What I'm trying to say is that I'm counting on you. All of us are. If you don't think you're up for the task, then I can find someone else to take your place. Of course, when everything all starts coming down on our heads-"

"All right!" Alec said quickly. "Fuck! I'll do it, okay! But I'm not doing it for that quarian."

"So you've mentioned," Shepard quipped dryly. "Is there anyone else you'd like to defuse before we get underway?"

"I don't know," she shrugged playfully. "Interius?"

"Don't look at me, ma'am," the turian raised his arms. "I just work here. I'll go along with it, whatever you say."

"Okay," she smiled. "But I expect you to take care of yourself out there."

"I think I'll be fine," Interius breathed, staring at the armored Shepard.

"Perfect," she clapped her hands together before she turned around to look back at Shepard. "Shall we get to work?"

"I've been ready since the start," Shepard replied.

* * *

><p>With a clattering of wheels, Grevel took his time in dragging the cart along the concrete floor. The suspended quarian in the middle of the room was trembling violently. This was a good sign to him, it meant that she had started to realize the seriousness of her plight.<p>

Perhaps he could afford to push a little more.

"You know, Tali'Zorah," he said mildly as he fiddled with a few knobs on the cart, "I have to admit that I'm surprised that you could be so enamored for a human like Commander Shepard. Quarians are usually very insular in their relationships, aren't they?"

Tali moaned, hanging her head miserably. "Please…please stop."

"Well, I just find it curious," he continued, ignoring her pleas. "Curious that you might not have thought out the complications arising from such a…pairing. First, the obvious, did you have any plan of getting outside of that suit in order to be with him? You're not going to avoid getting disastrously sick if that happens, I'm afraid."

"No…" Tali whispered quietly, although it was not a direct answer to Grevel's question.

"Furthermore, does he even know what you look like? Without the mask, I mean. How can you be sure that he will find you remotely attractive?"

"S-S-Stop…"

Grevel cranked a dial on the cart, producing a hissing sound. "But, you would certainly have considered the incompatibilities between your amino acids and the chiralities of your body sugars into the equation. Interestingly, that makes your want for the human not driven by the need to reproduce. How odd, for that is usually the underlying reason for mating between most species in this galaxy. Some may claim it's a duty, others might say that reproduction is an absolute need, but you've disregarded it entirely in this case. Congratulations, Tali'Zorah, you're in the minority of people that have sought out others for love." He turned around so that the mask could shoot her a nasty grin. "And very coincidental, since I happened to share that exact same problem as you once. The more time I spend with you, Tali'Zorah, the more I see how _alike_ we are. I was wrong earlier, the commander is nothing like me, but _you_ are. If our circumstances had been exchanged, you could just as easily have evolved into what I am now, you can see how easy it is for someone to reach this degree of existence! There is a kinship between us, Tali'Zorah, for you were correct earlier. Maybe you _do_ know me better than anyone else."

Grevel yanked two hoses from the interior of the cart and pulled on them to test their elasticity. Satisfied that they were connected to the tanks in the cart, he crouched next to Tali, who was trying to look at the floor instead of the hideous mask.

"Unfortunately," the jawbone clacked, "I have little need for kinships in my life anymore. I'm a professional and I no longer actively seek people out. Not since…Sophie died. Not since…" With an angry shake of the head, he narrowed his eyes. "Regardless, I'm afraid our little tête-à-tête must come to an end. There's still much to say, but I have a feeling that you'll say it all for me very soon, Tali'Zorah."

Tali lifted her head up, raw eyes still defiant behind her visor. "You're lying, monster. You're just saying anything you can to make me upset. What else can you get from me? Hasn't this given you enough satisfaction?"

"Yes and no," Grevel shrugged. "I told you that we would not be done, not until your darkest secrets are revealed out in the open. Then, your pain will end and who knows? Maybe you'll see that human that you have irrationally fallen for."

Before she could react, Grevel quickly thrust an arm out and grasped Tali's hood, tearing it off her helmet so that it dangled behind her. She shut her eyes in horror. _No, please_, she thought. _Not that. Anything but that. John likes my hood._

Embarrassed, Tali felt tears welling up inside her again, her scuffed silver helmet now glinting barely under the harsh lighting. She felt defiled that her traditional quarian heirloom had been so carelessly removed and cast aside. She almost felt like screaming and trying to tear off the ropes with her teeth, the sensation of being a caged animal quickly creeping up on her.

Grevel now roughly grasped at Tali's shoulder, fingers clenching down onto bone. She cried out in pain and watched as Grevel exposed her injection ports that were located on her shoulder by removing the hidden flap. Expertly, he took the tubes in his hand and connected them to the ports, locking them into place with a twist.

"You said…" she whispered after he released her, "You said you wouldn't lay a hand on me."

"I lied," came the simple response. "And for that I am sorry. But you should be thanking me regardless. What I just did could potentially keep you alive."

He touched a button on the cart and a soft hum erupted from the rolling box. Quickly, Tali felt something like ice water enter her veins, a cold liquid pouring through the injector ports into her system.

She shuddered. "What…what are you doing?"

"Introducing a powerful antibiotic cocktail," Grevel explained. "Don't worry, your system will adapt quickly. It's not meant to hurt you. It's meant to protect you."

With her hood gone, Tali found that her head had more freedom to move around. She stared upward at the light, praying it would claim her because there was no salvation from this hell. She mouthed a word silently before staring at Grevel. "Protect me from what?"

Grevel opened a drawer and procured a breathing mask, a clear tube attached to another tank hidden in the bottom of the cart. With a flick of the switch, a slow stream of gas began flowing out of the mask, drawn from the pressurized tank in the cart. Tali stared at the breathing mask for a full second before realizing what he was about to do. "Oh no…you can't-"

"_This_ is what the antibiotic is for," Grevel said as he lifted the breathing mask aloft. "I can't deny that what happens to you will be unpleasant, but it has been quite effective for its intended use. It's a gift, you see. One from a recent client, one that has the technology to craft such an effective airborne toxin."

As Grevel walked forward, Tali struggled to move as far away from him as the rope could allow. "No…no…"

Sighing, Grevel knelt down so that he and Tali were at eye level. "I'm afraid that I'll have to break my promise again in order to do this. But I'll give you one piece of advice for what happens next: don't struggle. If you ride the toxin out, everything will be easier for you. You'll soon find out what I'm talking about."

Before Tali could respond, Grevel dropped the breathing mask to the ground for a second. He then reached up and his fingers found the catches of Tali's mask, holding her head steady as she jolted in alarm. He depressed the catches, a soft hiss emitting from the depressurization of the helmet, and he lifted the visor away from Tali's face.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: This chapter was an intense ordeal for me in crafting it. I had to tone down some areas in the final product because I think I went too far in some depictions in my earlier drafts. Hopefully the end result is acceptable.**_

_**We are just about approaching the final act of The Disengaged, based on my outline. There are still exciting things to come about, so keep your eyes peeled!**_


	9. Chapter 9: Worst Fears Realized

Her orientation was…surprisingly pleasant. She found herself lying on her back, sinking into some soft cushion; a mattress. Her eyes were closed, taking advantage of the lull from her session. As to how she got to this place, she couldn't say, but she did find herself feeling quite comfortable in her position.

Tali curled inward and felt her enviro-suit tug at her frame. She hitched her breathing as her hands came up to her face only to find them blocked by the purple visor that hid her from the world. Nothing was out of place, everything on her suit was where it should be. She sighed gratefully; everything had all been a nasty dream.

She looked upward and was surprised to see the edges of the room come into focus. It was unfamiliar to her at first glance and she squinted in order to view the room better. It was a small place, with only a bed and a desk in the corner. Spacious by quarian standards but cramped for the vessel's inhabitants. It only took a few seconds for her to figure out where she was, the impact giving her a start.

_The Normandy. This is Shepard's cabin! But…what am I doing here?_

The hows or whys could not be explained at this point in time. Actually, Tali was not sure if she wanted everything to be explained all at once. This bed was the most comfortable thing she had ever laid on in months and the more she sat here, the more disinterested she was becoming in getting up to find out answers for herself. Sleeping was the only thing she really wanted to concentrate on at the moment.

She yawned, arching her back on the bed. Perhaps a nap would do her some good, despite the fact that this wasn't her room at all. That brought a frown to her face as her eyelids began to droop. Where was Shepard? That was whom she wanted to see all this time, wasn't it? If this really was his cabin, then where could he be?

Frustrated, she turned on her side and stopped as she found out that someone was occupying the bed with her. Lying on his side away from her, on top of the sheets, the form of Shepard quietly dozed, his chest lightly rising and falling with each breath. Tali's own breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. How long had she been here with him? Why didn't he wake her? What was going on?

All of that quickly went disregarded as Tali joyfully reminded herself that she was with Shepard again. Here he was, right in the same room, on the same bed! He had come back for her!

There was little hesitation in her movements as her drowsiness quickly evaporated. Tali reached for Shepard's shoulder, lightly nudging him. "John!" she whispered, careful not to snap him out of his nap too quickly. "John! Wake up!"

She could see the back of his head rise at her voice, a quiet mumble escaping from his mouth. Happily, she began to stroke the back of his scalp, her fingers tenderly massaging his skin. Tali scooted her body so that she wrapped around him from behind, the two of them lying on the bed together. To hell with the consequences, she reasoned. This was more important.

His body felt good against her. Tali snuggled in closer, adjusting her position so that she could feel the maximum amount of warmth from Shepard. This was a new feeling for her but it just seemed right. The soft yielding of his skin at her touch, despite the enviro-suit, was addictive and soon Tali slipped further into her embrace.

"John," she said seductively in his ear. "Let me see you. Come here."

Obediently, the human rolled over and moved Tali so that she was on her back again, her head supported by the stock pillows. Without being prompted, Shepard dipped his head and started to kiss her suit, just above her breasts. Tali gulped, not anticipating this sort of outcome but found the experience to be very pleasurable all the same. She gasped as Shepard's head began to travel upward, his lips lightly brushing across her suit, a newfound boldness erupting from the both of them from his actions.

Shepard rose up and kissed the suit near her neck, almost making Tali tear off her visor for the extreme need to kiss him back ached so badly that she could feel her consciousness slowly fading away and being replaced by an animal lust.

Biting back a moan, she reached out and cupped his cheeks, still unable to see his face from his strategic positioning. "John, please…look at me."

Slowly, his head began to rise, her fingers gradually helping him up as they reached under his jaw. Her smile was wide as she expected to see the loving grin returned on his handsome face. Perhaps she would kiss him right now, actually. Now was not the time to be concerned with safety. This was about doing what was right, and now she thought kissing him was the right course of action. Her fingers twitched, anticipating the actions that she had found herself longing to do for a string of unbearable months. All those efforts and now everything had finally come to fruition!

But when his face was finally revealed to her, Tali blinked once before recoiling backwards violently. "_NO!_" she screamed. "NO, NO, NO!"

The intricate mask of Grevel instead of Shepard's face smiled at her, his body cropped in shadow. At her horror, the mask began to laugh, the noise grating on her ears. The jaw snapped inches away from face as he replaced Shepard entirely, his entire existence becoming the image of her enemy. Grevel laid atop Tali, trapping her with his weight. His skeletal fingers reached for her and Tali noticed that one of his hands was brandishing a knife.

With a savage grunt, the knife swung downward and planted itself in the middle of Tali's chest. She stared at the hilt sticking out of her body, numbly groping around it to stem the flow of blood that was spurting out of her in shocking bursts. Soon, her hands became stained with her life and the bedsheets around her turned a wet red color. She coughed, gore flecking her visor as Grevel continued to laugh while he watched the quarian choke to death on her own blood.

Fighting around the coppery taste in her mouth, she took a deep breath and screamed.

A flash of light appeared and suddenly she was hanging in the interrogation room again, her arms positioned skyward as everything blurred around her.

_I'm…Anhur…no…where…John?_

She couldn't think properly, there was a slight draft on her face, and she dimly felt warm blood run down her arms from the rope around her bound wrists. Tali didn't even notice that she was shaking heavily, her feet scuffing the floor below her. She swung in place, dangling from the rope.

She didn't even notice that she was crying.

Seated in the corner of the musty interrogation room, the real Grevel merely watched the situation unfold. He peered at the quarian, trying to see if there was any concentration behind those glowing eyes of hers. The breathing mask that he had applied a while ago obscured most of her face, but he could definitely make out her eyes as well as the grey color of her skin. The mask continued to pump its deadly payload into Tali's lungs, keeping her hallucinations intact and fresh.

Grevel had to admit, for a quarian, Tali was one of the more attractive he had seen before. She had a youthful face, one not marred by the horrors of war. It only made him feel more envious, but it did give him some sick sort of pleasure to know that he had basically intruded upon her most private features before anyone else did.

All quarians regard their face as the most sacred part of their body. They never show their faces to anyone, not even in their own family. Granted, this didn't apply for acts of intimacy or for the right circumstances that happened to be in place in terms of deep bonds of friendship, but it was still a rare enough occurrence that most of the galactic population could say that they've never seen a quarian unmasked before.

It was not Grevel's first time unmasking a quarian. He had done it so many times in the past that it no longer surprised him when he had to pull their visors off. His job was less than glamorous and it was only cruel fate that many of his victims happened to be quarians. Of course, breaching their suits made for a more effective means of torturing them, but it also helped Grevel see their expressions better so that he could know if his methods were effective or not. He felt he knew a little more about quarians each time he went through the same song and dance, how their suits worked, where their hidden pockets were, and the limits he could take them to regarding full on exposure before it killed them.

But every time that he got to this part of the interrogation, Grevel was always particularly struck at how similar quarians looked compared to humans, sans the grey skin. Their facial structures of quarians were practically similar in shape, they were the only other species to have hair, and the little lines that rose from their eyebrows up to their scalp gave them a very exotic edge. Grevel, after seeing Tali exposed like this to him, knew that Shepard would definitely find her attractive, unless the man was as blind as a bat. But Grevel would certainly never let Tali know that.

He peered at Tali, noting that her eyes were dilated, most likely from the infection from the air in this place. This was not a microbe-free room, and nor was the breathing mask effectively airtight. From the monitoring devices hooked up to Tali, Grevel could see that she was running a slight fever but the antibiotics were doing a hefty job in keeping her from getting seriously sick. This was easily recoverable from, nothing to worry about.

Grevel slowly got up from his chair and walked over to Tali, who was breathing heavily, trying to compose herself. He got to about a foot from her and knelt down, making sure that her hanging head could properly see him. Her eyes blinked in panic and Grevel could see the fear etched on her face. Wisps of black hair trailed from underneath the helmet, giving Tali a disheveled look.

"This can all be over," Grevel spoke quietly to her, "if you only stop struggling. Just give in and your pain will stop, Tali'Zorah. I promise you."

Tali coughed before slitting her eyes in a furious expression. "N-N-Never…" she choked out before the mask applied another dose of toxin rushing through it, causing her muscles to seize.

While the trembling Tali spaced out again, Grevel strode over to the cart and checked the readouts on the dials. He cranked one of them to lessen the gas flow somewhat after discovering that an eighth of the tank had already been used up. It was being consumed at a decent pace but Grevel wanted to conserve his resources, just in case.

The toxin had been just one of the Collectors' many gifts to the Shadow Broker, a reward for one of the countless jobs performed in the past. The toxin was a very potent paralyzing agent that was friendly with weapon integration, allowing for easier non-lethal takedowns to be performed. Apparently, the stuff was a product of some Collector bio-weapon only known as "seeker swarms." Even the Broker did not have sufficient intel on this weapon, but only that the Collectors utilized the poisonous compound to neutralize their victims for whatever nefarious purposes they had in mind.

Interestingly, upon further research, the swarm venom was discovered to be mildly radioactive. Nothing approaching lethal levels but still an unstable compound nevertheless. By oxidizing the stuff and cutting the overall intensity by combining it with the appropriate mix of nitrogen, the swarm venom's chemical makeup could be altered, now giving it the properties of a hallucinogenic compound.

It was a very cleverly crafted compound, as if the Collectors had intended for the venom to be used in multiple different forms. For one, the new gas was so already intricately assembled that it immediately fell under the 2C category of psychedelic phenethylamines due to the presence of methoxy groups on the two and five positions on the benzene rings. Not only that, but there was the presence of lipophilic substituents at the four position, making the entire compound more potent, longer lasting, and more metabolically stable.

It was doing its job perfectly, at the very least, Grevel considered as he patted the tank. He eyed a small drip that was drawing blood from Tali, transported by one of the extra tubes he had inserted into the shoulder injection ports. It was not very much in the way of a sample, but he could examine it to find traces of toxins still residing in her bloodstream, denoting if she was still sick.

Although, Grevel had to consider, judging by the quarian's strength of will, it could be quite a while before she would give in completely to the hallucinations brought on by the toxin. Due to the nature of the toxin's potency, he wondered just how much of her mind she would be able to retain after all this was over. The effects would linger for a good long while and in that time Tali would certainly be in a more submissive position. His words were ringing true because the more she struggled, the worse it was going to be for her.

It made no difference now. All he had to do was wait.

* * *

><p>The wheel on top the hatch creaked loudly and it soon swung open on rusty hinges, making a squealing noise. Shepard popped up from the hole, scanning in all directions before mentally pronouncing the area safe. His motion trackers were coming up with nothing and there was no one within his line of sight.<p>

All clear.

He stepped up from the underground passageway, looking at the moss covered metal surface of the hatch. It had perfectly blended in at the foot of a huge tree back in the jungle. Night had fallen by now, the shadows of the undergrowth playing tricks with Shepard's eyes. The chirps and squawks from the insects, birds, and whatever nocturnal life was prowling about at the moment drowned out the grunting noise emanating from the shaft, causing Shepard to peer over there in annoyance.

With a huffing sound, Alec pulled himself out of the hatch, his face beet-red. Zlette and Interius soon followed, both brandishing submachine guns that they trained across the ground for cover.

The vorcha glanced unsympathetically at the wheezing Alec. "Hurrr. Human, your sounds are painful. You are weaker than you let on."

"Fuck…you…" Alec panted, hacking up a lung as he did so. "I did some heavy lifting before I was volunteered on this suicide mission. Sorry if my level of physical fitness is not good enough for you."

Zlette did not seem fazed but bared his teeth in a savage snarl before Shepard stepped in.

"All right, shut up, both of you." He glanced at his compass on his omni-tool. "We need to head north where the hangar is. They'll probably be guarding the main entrance so I think we should sneak around the cliff side. Unless anyone else has a better idea?"

"Yeah," Interius nodded. "There's a back door on the other side of the mountain. We have to go up a steep path, though, but we'll have a better chance of avoiding detection."

"It's better than simply knocking down the front door," Shepard shrugged. "Does anyone have any objections to taking the back way?"

Zlette just returned the shrug. Alec spat in the grass.

Shepard narrowed his eyes at his fellow human's crude action. "It's unanimous, then. You know the way, Interius?"

"Yeah. Deborah showed me."

"Good. You take point as soon as we get to the path. How long of a climb is it?"

Interius checked his map. "Forty-five minutes to the base of the mountain. A two hour hike up the side afterward."

"Great."

As they moved out, the squad of four stepped over a dead log and dug their feet into the mulch. Trudging their way through the dense jungle once more, they became absorbed into the blackness of life.

Shepard's new weaponry was of a mediocre build, to put it mildly. Of course, he didn't expect Spectre requisitions gear just hanging about back at the rebel base but in his mind's eye, his expectations were still outrageously high. The rifle he carried now, realistically, was a fine rifle but it was several leagues behind what he was used to. Same with the shotgun and the sniper rifle, all used and low cost. At least they were reliable models so he wouldn't have to worry about them blowing apart whenever he had to pull the trigger. He had enough things trying to kill him at the moment and he certainly didn't need another.

He hefted the small shoulder pack tied about him. Deborah had ordered Zlette to give him the last of their explosive charges and now they were housed in a makeshift pack that he was carrying around. She didn't say what he should do with them but there was an implied suggestion hidden underneath the gesture.

Blow the place and be done with it.

Shepard at least wished he had thought to bring some water. Now that he was trekking through this humid biome again, he remembered the uncomfortably sweatiness that accompanied any movement. Unconsciously, he reached into one of his side pockets and furrowed his brow in confusion when he felt his fingertips brush something. He withdrew his hand, clutching the object, and stared at the long nashi thorn nestled in his palm that had miraculously stayed in its place after the series of ordeals.

Shepard looked at the thorn for a while, occasionally glancing at the ground to watch his step as the group quietly walked along. Its overall purpose as a reminder of Anhur would serve him well, a good indicator of how he had to adapt and survive in this harsh environment. Like the nashi, he would begin to prick back.

Instead of dropping the thorn on the forest floor, Shepard smiled and returned it to the pocket, the reminder to watch himself fresh in his mind. He didn't know if the nashi thorns still had toxin on them after they had been plucked but it was better to be safe than sorry in this case. He didn't want to collapse in the middle of a rescue mission if he let his mind wander at a critical moment.

The crunching of branches behind Shepard snapped him out of his thoughts. Hearing the distant grumbling of Alec, he had to concede that he would probably never want to have any of these people in his squad watching his back ever again.

Interius, although he meant well, was only a medic on loan from Genex. He was no soldier and probably not even a decent hacker. Shepard was willing to bet that Tali could hack circles around the turian while simultaneously improving the output of the engine core. As it was, he was skeptical of Interius being able to open a simple door.

Zlette also worried him. The vorcha was just a gun-for-hire, a mercenary initially hired as muscle by the company. Although Zlette had consistently exhibited more professional behavior in terms of keeping his mouth shut when necessary, Shepard was wary at the vorcha's overall intentions. Their entire race was not exactly known for their diplomatic skills and more for their viciousness in a fight. They comprised a good chunk of the Blood Pack gang out in the Terminus and that overall reputation did a good job in souring public opinion of the vorcha. He just hoped that Zlette would surprise him.

Alec, on the other hand, was hated by Shepard from the start. The human was arrogant, loud mouthed, and a borderline racist. If it were not for Deborah's insistent recommendation, Shepard would have gladly left him behind back at the outpost. But, apparently since he was supposedly a really good shot, Shepard had no choice. But that didn't stop the man from repeatedly grating on Shepard's nerves. He just hoped there was an opportunity to dump him at the side of the road when the coast was finally clear. Shepard had to remind himself to tough it out until Tali was found.

_Tali. Please still be alive. I promised you that I would come back. I don't intend to break it._

Pushing aside the leaves of a huge bush, Shepard let out a breath as the tall spire of the mountain base loomed in front of them, blocking out the soft light of the moon from its pointed spire.

* * *

><p>The air vibrated from the low thrum of plasma zooming by her head. Bright blue shafts of light passed parallel over the ground, illuminating the dark corridors of the facility. Tali ducked behind a low wall, her ears buzzing from the close proximity of the plasma bolts.<p>

Steam and argon gas hissed in the industrial environment, fogging up Tali's mask. She panted loudly, clutching her submachine gun as she struggled to catch her breath. Low footsteps echoed closely, clanking on the grated floor. They were close, whoever they were.

Tali quickly switched her gun to fire disruptor rounds before she rose out of her crouch. She couldn't see a thing in this darkness but she fired all the same. The gun bucked in her hands, sending thin lines of projectiles spewing into the black, the light briefly illuminating the piping running along the side of the corridor.

She was beginning to get more panicked from not being able to see her enemy. She rotated in place, becoming more agitated as she fired. The gun reports were starting to deafen her and the awful clattering from the facility falling apart kept drawing her attention all over the place. Tali roared as she held the trigger down, not noticing that the thermal clip had overheated until it was too late.

As she made to look down to see how far its cooldown progress was, Tali felt a fiery pain in her belly and found herself lying on the cold metal ground, her gun knocked out of her hands. Numbly, she raised her head and stared at the gash that the plasma shaft had left when it had scythed across her stomach. Tali swore she could smell her own roasted flesh through her olfactory filters and she moaned in horror as she saw a faint grey tube of her intestine beginning to spill out of the wound.

As she tried to push her guts back in, her gloves became stained with blood. The pain was excruciating, causing Tali to scream loudly as the sound of footsteps became closer. Through her tear-streaked eyes, she struggled to see beyond her impaired threshold, wanting to know who did this to her.

The black and white form of a geth prime slowly strode into view, the lone light on top of its head unwavering. In its hands, the plasma turret was slightly smoking, a light _whirr_ coming from its internal components. Seeing the fallen quarian on the ground, it cocked its head, analyzing her for any more threats.

Tali could do nothing as she lay there, dying. She squinted her eyes as it seemed the light from the prime was slowly getting more intense. It actually appeared to be enveloping the entire geth, creating a ball of illumination next to her.

However, the light slowly receded and draped itself behind a new form. Tali whimpered as Grevel now stood where the geth prime had, but he still brandished the plasma canon triumphantly. The mask tilted downward, cruelly smiling at her.

Weakly shaking her head, Tali mumbled, "Please…don't…"

Grevel merely aimed the cannon at her head. "It would be easier if you weren't struggling," he cackled before he pulled the trigger.

Everything went white for a split second.

Gasping, Tali opened her eyes, her pain completely vanished. With a low cry, she clutched at her stomach, holding her hands where the wound had just been previously. She looked down and saw that her enviro-suit was intact, no marks on it at all. She quickly patted herself over for any more wounds before pronouncing herself uninjured, for the most part. She sobbed in relief as she recalled the sensation of her disembowelment, her shoulders trembling from the reminiscence. With that over, Tali began to calm down but suddenly became wary as she found herself trapped in a void, the industrial installation completely warped away.

Everything was black around her, like she had entered a room where the walls were all one uniform shade. It appeared to Tali like she was standing on nothing, just floating in this ocean with no bottom. She clutched at herself, telling herself that this was all in her head, that her mind was only playing tricks on her.

Someone cleared their throat behind her and she whirled around. Grevel, his hands at his sides, began to walk towards her. He was the only other person inhabiting this space with her, the only point of concentration. Scared, Tali began to back away but found that no matter how hard she tried, the intimidating form still maintained the same pace in her direction.

Knowing that she couldn't escape him, Tali fell to her knees and Grevel stopped a few feet away from her. He tilted his head down, silently regarding the defeated looking quarian before him, wondering just how much fight she could possibly have left within her.

"Just ask for mercy," he growled, his coat flapping from an intangible breeze, "and it will be granted. You can end all this now. Just take my hand and you'll be done." He reached out with his hand as he said this, palm up, his red eyes unblinking.

Tali ground her fingers into the invisible ground in front of her. Trembling, she almost began to gag before shaking her head, ever defiant. "I…will not…bend to you_, varr'lek_!" The terrible curse burst from her lips, one of the worst any quarian could utter. Tali was beyond any moral sensibilities at this point, though.

Grevel just shrugged. "As you wish," he said before waving his hand, causing him and the entire scene to dissolve.

Tali shut her eyes as a new image began to reappear through the dark, announcing its presence with a _whoosh_. Her chest seemed to compress, pushing the air out of her lungs and her entire body prickled with discomfort. She clenched her teeth, almost biting the edge of her lip before the uncomfortable sensations faded and she was left alone.

She heard a hiss and felt a vibration through her helmet. Tali opened her eyes a crack to see a pair of calloused hands reaching toward her face. In shock, she sat bolt-upright to find herself back in Shepard's cabin, her legs dangling off the edge of his bed. Her confused state of mind had brought her back here for some reason, but why?

What was different about this encounter this time was seeing an awake Shepard sitting next to her, his hands already depressing the catches of her visor. His face was rapt with interest and Tali's mouth drifted open, now comprehending what he was doing.

_My helmet…He wants to see me. He wants to look at my face!_

Tenderly, Shepard pulled her visor away from the excited quarian and gingerly set it down on the bed behind him. Tali felt cool air brushing across her face and could now hear his quiet breathing, labored by nervousness and a hidden finality. Her eyes widened at the mere idea that he could see who she truly looked like underneath, for it was a gift that she had wanted to give him for so long. After all this, he needed to know what she looked like, to know how she felt, eternally trapped in this damned suit!

As Shepard finally laid eyes on her face, a change brushed over him, one Tali did not expect. Instead of a loving smile and a warm tenderness in his features, Shepard's eyes darkened and his mouth turned downward in a scowl. Tali's heart could not have sunk lower at the sight of his disgust. Shepard began to scoot away from her and Tali's heart rendered itself apart.

"No…please," she begged, her tears making twin waterfalls down her face. "I…I l-l-love you, John. Sh-Shouldn't that matter the m-most?"

Shepard could only make a low sound from his throat, a noise of complete and utter revulsion. Swiftly, he stood and walked out of the room, not looking upon the person that repelled him so for another moment.

Crying, Tali leaned over until her head touched the bed. Her tears were absorbed by the soft fabric and she bunched it in her fists. It seemed her entire body was rattling with sorrow and horror and she finally leaned her face, her hideous face, upward and screamed.

The scream seemed to last an eternity around her. She took breaths in between and resumed her wail, her limbs going limp. She started to feel faint and soon keeled over, looking to the bed to comfortably arrest her fall.

But the soft sheets merely parted and soon Tali found herself tumbling through blackness again. She dimly felt the sensation of falling but was too dazed to do anything about it. She raised a hand to wipe away her tears but stopped when she saw the grey skin of her hand right in front of her face instead of the dull black of her enviro-suit.

She looked down in confusion and saw that she was inexplicably naked. Her grey skin was completely uncovered and her shoulder-length black hair was free to whip around in the stillness. Even though no one was around to perceive her in her flight, Tali drew her legs to her chest, curling herself up into a ball as she tumbled. The horrors were unending, never satiated, that continued to drive her to the brink of madness. She now floated in her fetal position, a still lifeform wreathed in sadness.

A cold draft threw itself upon her bare body, making her shudder, but there was now a pricking sensation on the back of her hand. In annoyance, and through her blurry eyes, she lifted her head to view the source of her discomfort but was astonished to discover that her right hand was completely ablaze. Before she could react, there was a harsh snapping sound and now her other hand suddenly became consumed in flames as well.

Her skin boiled and dripped, causing Tali to howl in pain. The flames quickly traveled up her body, creating one giant fireball. Tali writhed where she was, screeching all the while. Her hair burned and disintegrated on her head. Her flesh melted and turned to wax. Her eyes popped from the heat and dribbled down her face.

Before she lost her sight, the last thing she could see was the bones of her arms, still able to move even after the last of her skin sloughed off, an emaciated version of what her flesh hid. Transformed by the flame, the last of the muscle on her body burned away, leaving only bones behind. Still draped in the fire, the blackened skeleton of Tali creaked and howled one final word.

"_STOP!_"

Abruptly as it started, it ended. A new pressure could be felt from the absence of agony, one that came from lying on the ground. The crackling sound of her own body cooking ceased, a welcome silence assaulting her ears. Groggy, Tali stirred where she lay, the final memory of the fire infringing upon her, making her shudder.

She was back in the black emptiness. Here, she was all alone again.

Her breathing echoed within her visor, giving her solace that she was back in her suit. There was no Shepard to torment her, there was no fire, there were no geth. It was just the comforting silence now, the open ear for her labors.

She turned her head to the side and saw a pair of familiar black boots standing right next to her. She closed her eyes, knowing exactly who they belonged to. "No…more…" she croaked. "Please…don't do this to me…"

"Take my hand, Tali'Zorah," Grevel said softly. "Take it if you want mercy."

Pushing herself up on weak limbs, Tali saw a three-fingered hand poking out of the black coat surrounding Grevel. The hand was tilted upward, just like before, and positioned patiently for her to make the final move.

"Can you make it stop?" she whispered. "Will it all end if I choose this path?"

"Nothing will hurt you again," came the quiet reply. "I give you my word."

Without any more thought on her end, Tali reached out and took the offered hand, her soft fingers brushing against the hard armor. The grip was colder than she expected.

* * *

><p>Back in the room, Grevel swiftly replaced Tali's breathing mask with her own visor, sealing her back up. The quarian had finally lapsed into unconsciousness, her head lolling forward while she continued to hang from the rope.<p>

All in all, Grevel had been impressed by the toxin's effectiveness in breaking the quarian down. He dearly wished that he could have seen the hallucinations that had completely shattered her so, but that was the penalty of psychological torture, it rarely involved first-hand work for the torturer.

He walked back to the cart and cut the flow of gas. Tali had used up almost a third of the tank, which was definitely an impressive feat. Most times, the participants hardly lasted going through an eighth. The other readout showed that Tali's body temperature was continuing to be closely regulated, the antibiotic having successfully repulsed all of the allergic reactions that she had been suffering from.

Grevel walked back over and drew out the tubes from Tali's injection ports, sloppily replacing her hood over her helmet. He reached up and cut the tension to the rope, causing the quarian to collapse to the floor. Looking over at the crumpled form, Grevel smirked.

_Everyone breaks, quarian. If I could break, you could too._

Adjusting his coat, Grevel walked over to the door leading outside, unlocking it with his omni-tool. He took one stride and almost collided with a batarian standing right in front of the doorway. Grevel halted and eyed the alien sourly.

"What the hell do _you_ want?"

The batarian bore the expression of a mouse about to bell the cat. "It's…Commander Zherl, sir. He's been requesting an update on the situation…"

"Oh, he does, does he?"

"He's…he's been very insistent, s-sir."

Grevel deliberately looked to the side in disinterest, sighing explosively before he spoke. "Fine, whatever. I'll answer the commander's hail. I've been meaning to get it over with anyway. Before I do that, I'm going to need some things from you."

"Me, sir?" the batarian gulped.

"Yes, you. What, do you think I'm referring to the fucking wall over there? Firstly, you see the quarian back in the room?"

The batarian nervously leaned around Grevel's shoulder to see the prone form of Tali lying still on the ground. He nodded, waiting to hear further instructions.

"When she wakes," Grevel said once he glimpsed eye contact with the alien, "I want her to be moved into one of the rooms near the hangar entrance, _unbound_."

"You said…unbound?" the batarian clarified.

"I did, and if you ask me one more time about something that I clearly stated to you, I'm going to have to find someone else who doesn't ask so many questions. That doesn't bode well for you, by the way. To reiterate: unbound, unrestrained, unshackled. The quarian will be in a much more…compliant mood for a few hours, which is more than enough time for what is to come next."

"Got it," the batarian bobbed his head while Grevel continued.

"No need to keep the door locked, she's not going anywhere." He noted the batarian's confused look. "Yes, I said _unlocked_. You don't need to understand my reasoning, just follow the damn orders." Grevel now leaned forward so that the jawbone clacked inches away from the batarian's face. "And make sure that she remains uninjured by anyone here. If I come back and I see that someone has laid hands on her, I'll kill every last one of you fuckers in this compound, and I won't be quick and clean about it. Understand?"

"P-Perfectly!"

Worked every time.

"Part two," Grevel straightened. "I need you to transfer the protocols from the quantum communicator into my helmet. I'm going to need a conversation done on the move and I don't have time to wait around in the comm room whilst preparations are being made. I'll give you the proper frequency for you to patch in so it should be a quick job for you. Think you can handle it?"

"Of course, sir!"

"Excellent." Grevel flexed his fingers before roughly shouldering past the batarian. "If Zherl happens to ask where I am in the next five minutes, just tell him that I'm on my way."

Before the batarian could answer, Grevel abruptly turned the corner and was gone, leaving the batarian panicking over how he could do his jobs quickly and efficiently enough without having the anger-prone mercenary blow a fuse.

He keyed a control on his radio. He was going to need a few helping hands.

* * *

><p>Shepard's foot slipped on a rock but he caught himself just in time. Getting to a knee, he swore that the sound of clattering stones down the slope could potentially draw a lot of attention to them, and they weren't even halfway up the mountainside yet.<p>

Looking downward so that he wouldn't fumble with his footing again, Shepard dutifully followed Interius as they hiked up the lone path, a dusty trail cut into the side of an enormous slope devoid of vegetation. He could hear Zlette snorting silently and Alec panting behind him. Still they climbed, hugging their weapons close to their bodies.

A rumble of thunder echoed throughout the forest, catching the group as they looked over the canopy. Interius looked up at the broiling sky overhead. "Looks like rain," he commented.

"That'll make the path slippery," Shepard grimaced. "How much further until we reach the entrance?"

"Forty-five minutes, tops."

Shepard sighed as he wiped away sweat from the back of his neck. "We'd better hurry if we don't want to get caught out in the open. The storm's going to wreak havoc with our progress if we are out here too long."

The turian nodded in agreement, doubling his pace as he stepped around a particularly large boulder. Alec made a quiet groan as everyone adjusted to the increased rate of travel, but was ignored by his peers Shepard's legs were starting to ache from the exertion, but he knew that with every step he made, he was getting close to Tali. He couldn't slow down. Not now.

_Almost there, Tali. Hold on. Just hold on!_

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So far, I've been enjoying experimenting with this sort of "dark authenticity" in this story. It's been refreshing to try something along these lines and I just hope all of you are enjoying the risks I've been taking so far.**_

_**Keep a close watch for when the final act begins in the next chapter! I'll start working on it tomorrow and will post it when it's ready.**_


	10. Chapter 10: Better in Every Way

The doors to the observation room hissed open and Grevel stomped inside, eyeing the interior of the space directly in front of him. The doors shut behind him and the guards shuffled to position their bodies in front of it. Grevel turned around, peering at them intently for a moment before walking halfway between the chair in the center of the room and the exit.

The lights in the room were dimmed, as always, and the tinted windows offered little visibility outside. Grevel didn't mind the darkness, but he was always confused why Zherl would choose to languish in this place rather than get down on the ground with his troops and take a firsthand look at the goings-on around this facility. Not exactly the sign of a good leader, one who chose isolation.

A batarian lieutenant off to the side looked like he was about to bolt, edging closer and closer to the wall as the silence became more apparent. Grevel was not intimidated in the slightest, not even when Zherl turned around in his chair, his krogan war hammer positioned across his lap.

"Zherl," Grevel said with the tiniest of nods.

"_Commander_ Zherl," the large batarian growled. "It would be in your best interests to give me the proper respect in front of my men this time, _Grevel_."

The armored figure shrugged with another furtive glance around the room. "Apologies," he said, even though he didn't mean it. "I was caught up in a business matter but I came as quick as I could when I heard you wished to speak with me."

Zherl stood up furiously but Grevel didn't bat an eye. "Are you trying to make a fool out of me?" he roared.

"You'll have to be a little more specific than that," Grevel replied in a monotone voice.

"You know perfectly well that I had been trying to grab your attention ever since those humans invaded the facility! Instead, you locked yourself up in the interrogation room with that quarian – your so-called 'business matter' I suppose – and you are now pretending that you were unaware of any hails from my end! This has gone on far enough, Grevel! Something has to be done before we proceed further."

"I agree," Grevel gritted, his temples starting to throb. "Something has to be done."

Zherl sat back down, fuming. "I've not been particularly impressed with your overall attitude the entire time you've been here. You've been petulant, ignorant, and…"

Grevel quietly disengaged the audio receptors in his helmet, allowing him to zone out a little easier. It was quite comical to see the huge batarian speak to him in such a manner that it looked like he was just moving his jaw but with no words escaping it. It was worth it, having this private little jape at the lug's expense. He waited until it looked like Zherl was finished before engaging the receptors again.

"Well," he spread his hands as Zherl leaned back. "Is there anything else you want from me right now, other than a change of attitude?" With a sarcastic growl, he continued "Do you want a heartfelt apology too?"

"Quit being cute, you insolent prick. As a matter of fact, there is something that I in particular want that either you can give me or I can deal with myself. I want to speak with your employer, Grevel, and I want to speak with him _now_."

Grevel could not stop the bark of laughter from his mask. "_No one_ talks to the Shadow Broker, Zherl. No one not part of the network, at least."

"I know that _you've_ been talking to him! I have the communication records! You've been speaking to him from this very base so why can't _I_ talk with him?"

"Any communications linkages from this planet go through one filter of control before I speak with the Broker and that filter is me. The Broker does not speak to anyone who is untrustworthy to the foundations has set in place, which you happen to qualify under. I cannot authorize a meeting between you two unless you have something important to say to him that is of a sensitive nature."

"Oh," Zherl grinned nastily. "Oh, but it _is_ important, Grevel. It's a matter of _grave_ importance. In fact, it's so important that I must insist that you set up a meeting _right away_."

Grevel blinked. "Really? What could you possibly have to offer, Zherl, that I am unaware of? What could you possibly know that I don't that would make you want to see the Shadow Broker personally?"

Zherl snapped his fingers and the two batarians by the door immediately sprung forward and grabbed Grevel's arms. The hulking figure offered no resistance but stared somberly at each trooper for a few seconds each before gazing back at Zherl. "I hope you'll forgive me," he said mildly in the strong grip of the guards, "but you're going to have to explain what the important matter is so that I can adequately report to the Broker your grievance, as well as this little slight in formalities."

"No need," Zherl shook his head with a laugh. "The formalities have ended, as far as I'm concerned. And as I said before, we have the communication records on file. We have the address of the Broker thanks to your correspondence with him. And do you know what I will say to him when I finally get my chance to talk?" Grevel, humoring him, shook his head. "Defiant, disobedient, and incompetent. Those will be the words I will use to describe you, Grevel, when I formally announce to your Broker that our little arrangement is concluded."

"I see," Grevel sighed, still not moving. "And why would you do such a thing?"

"Why? How about routinely massacring my men? How about failing to stop Shepard, the butcher of Elysium, from escaping my clutches? How about your consistent insubordinate attitude to me in front of my troops? You've grated on my nerves one too many times, Grevel. I've finally realized that you're more trouble than you're worth. We don't need the Broker's help in securing Anhur anymore, we're already halfway there! I don't need him to send a lackey to continuously stall my business in killing humans, no matter how mutated they are!"

Grevel gritted his teeth, leaning as far forward as he could from the grip of the guards. "I'm not going to explain my actions to _you_, asshole. I've done enough explaining for once. It is not your decision to break off an agreement from the Shadow Broker when the Na'hesit leadership decided on your behalf. There will be repercussions-"

"Let them come!" Zherl laughed as he hefted the war hammer. "Let the Broker's thugs come! If they are anything like you, then I'll have no trouble ridding myself of them, you pathetic coward." He waved to the guards grasping Grevel's arms. "Throw him in the cells! You'll have no say in the matter once I terminate our contract with the Broker and after that's concluded, there will be no further use for you as well."

"_I am no coward_," Grevel whispered to himself as the guards turned him around, strong-arming him over to the exit. Inside his helmet, he was broiling as sweat began to bead on his brow. Furiously, he dug his heels into the ground, slowing his movement and causing the guards to grunt at the extra work to move him.

"Wait, Zherl?" Grevel called over his shoulder before he was escorted out of the room.

Zherl waved a hand at the guards, a silent signal for them to stop. "What?"

"Just one thing that I forgot to mention; you know that war hammer of yours?"

Zherl looked at the weapon proudly, a smirk on his face. "Yeah, why? Did you want to buy it off of me? Like _that's_ ever going to happen."

"No, nothing like that. I just had recognized the markings on it earlier. Did you know that hammer used to belong to the legendary Warlord Tuvek? You know, the feared krogan leader?"

"Of course I do," Zherl puffed his chest out with pride. "After all, _I_ was the one who took it from him after I single-handedly finished the huge beast. It was the toughest fight of my life, one that you'll never be able to match, I'm afraid."

Grevel just smiled, his mask's jaw rising upward. "That's actually a very interesting story, Zherl, but I'm a little confused at your statement. You said you took it from Warlord Tuvek personally when I happen to know that Tuvek actually died four hundred years ago – on Mantun."

Zherl's faced paled to the color of curdled milk in the silence. The guards holding Grevel stiffened noticeably while he continued to grin. "And I did some tracing of my own. Why didn't you just say that you had actually bought the hammer at an auction on Illium?"

As the grip on the guards slackened from seeing their commander's utterly bewildered and defeated face, Grevel chose that moment to strike. Quick as a flash of lightning, Grevel ripped his arms out of the grip of his captors, brute force completely freeing him. Flicking his right wrist, his wrist blade extended from its hidden sheath, popping from the sleeve of his coat, and he swiped it across the throat of one of his guards, opening up his throat and drenching Grevel with blood. The batarian fell, gurgling horribly, as the wet muscle and fat glinted beneath the pool of blood that was spreading across the floor.

The other guard, forgetting that he had a pistol on his belt, tried to tackle Grevel in a spur of foolishness. His hands grasped at the pale mask, trying to peel it off. Grevel, however, grabbed at one of the hands trying to pry itself underneath his covering and lifted it to his mask. Quickly, he leaned forward and snapped the mask's jaw down hard in a ferocious bite, bringing the taste of blood to his mouth. Grevel spat out the severed fingers of the guard's hand into the batarian's face, laughing when he saw him recoil in horror and pain.

Grevel thrust an arm out in a tremendous punch, catching the guard in the middle of the forehead. The impact was only a dull vibration through his body but the alien's skull crushed inward as if a Mako had rolled over it. The batarian collapsed, blood dribbling out of his ears, leaving only Grevel standing amongst the dead.

Zherl, having witnessed the entire thing in a state of shock, finally shook off his paralysis and gave a battle cry, rushing towards Grevel with the hammer raised high. Grevel crouched with a grin, estimating the time of the batarian's arrival in his head, already running through the motions mentally.

At the precise moment, Grevel sidestepped and the hammer smashed down where he had stood a second earlier, creating cracks in the floor. The entire level of the facility seemed to vibrate from the shockwave and Zherl momentarily released his grip on the hammer in pain, unused to actually utilizing the melee weapon in a combat scenario.

Zherl's fumble was all the time Grevel needed. Smoothly, he drew a black knife from the holster at his side and stepped into Zherl's stance. Flowing like water, the blade inserted itself in between Zherl's ribs before it was violently ripped out. Zherl spat blood before he too fell to the ground, hands groping at the wound.

Standing over the injured batarian, Grevel calmly holstered his knife after wiping the blood onto his coat. Ignoring the gasped curses coming from Zherl, Grevel walked over and hefted the hammer from where it had struck the ground. The figure lifted it as if it weighed nothing, compared to the visible exertions Zherl indicated when he routinely hefted it for show. Grevel gave the hammer a few practice swings before walking back over to Zherl, whose four eyes widened at the sight of his hammer in the hands of his enemy.

"Ironic, isn't it?" Grevel asked as he raised the hammer high. "Despite your consistent bluster, this was not the toughest fight of _my_ life."

With a primal roar, Grevel savagely brought the hammer down on Zherl's head. Brains and bits of skull exploded underneath the enormous mallet, dispersing as the body of Zherl twitched once and lay still. Clumps of gore splattered the ground and Grevel's coat, steaming wherever they touched the ground.

Grevel brushed the larger chunks off of him before he pried the hammer away from Zherl's headless body. The edge of it was now stained bright red, a nasty chunk of brain still clinging to it with a little piece of skull attached. He was not even winded as the entire fight had felt like he had taken a dunk into ice water. It was actually refreshing, with the knowledge that Zherl was finally dead and that it was by his hand, that caused him such joy. Grevel sighed in relief, chuckling to himself before he heard a moan and he whipped his head in the direction of the noise.

He tilted his head as the completely terrified batarian lieutenant remained frozen up against the wall. The sight of the blood-stained Grevel and the equally tarnished hammer was enough to make the alien almost pass out in fear, completely afraid for his life.

Grevel, however, only pointed at him. "You. Come here."

The batarian stayed where he was, uncomprehending. Grevel sighed in frustration and gestured this time, watching as the alien cautiously crept forward a few feet, still very apprehensive.

Conceding that this was as good as it was going to get, Grevel straightened. "I need you to report to everyone on the base immediately. Tell them that I have assumed command of the operation in the area pending Zherl's recent…breakdown. I'll go over the details later but I need you to notify everyone right now. Time is of the essence and none of it can be wasted. Do you object to any of this?"

The batarian slowly shook his head.

"And will you anticipate anyone questioning my authority when you tell them what has happened?"

The batarian shook his head more emphatically.

"Good," Grevel nodded. "Now go and order them to assemble outside the hangar. No questions from any of them. And insinuate that anyone who protests or deserts will be killed in a most painful manner. I hope you understood that because I'm not going to repeat it again. Go now!"

The alien probably never moved so fast in his life before. The room was quickly vacated in seconds, leaving only Grevel with the pungent corpses of the batarians. In his hands, he spun the hammer, admiring the craftsmanship and the sheer weight with which the weapon was built. He trod over Zherl's body, seating himself upon the formerly living batarian's chair. It had remained untouched from the violence that had permeated the room and Grevel sighed at the moment of relaxation.

He slowly blinked before he touched a finger to a control at the base of the mask's jaw. A communications dialogue box popped up in his HUD and he selected the most recent contact in his list to talk to. As the transmission began to connect, he straightened his back, enjoying the feeling of the plush chair sink to the weight of his body.

* * *

><p>The guard paused to take a drag of the cigarette, halting his patrol through the prison block as he did so. The hangar doors were closed, the only light being provided by the damned industrial filaments installed decades ago, which cast everything in a very dim shade.<p>

The guard was a little too liberal with his inhalation and soon he began to bend over, hacking as he tried to spit up the smoke from his lungs. He stood up again, eyes red from coughing, and gave a snort of relief until something cold slid into his neck, causing the entire place to go suddenly go dark.

Shepard, after removing the knife from the batarian's neck, carefully set the body of the guard in a corner, noting that the wound to the batarian's neck produced relatively little blood which meant that the man's disappearance wouldn't be discovered from any spilled fluids. Taking a deep breath, he waved Interius, Zlette, and Alec up from their hiding place, the four of them clumping together in the hall.

"Okay," Shepard breathed, "We don't know how long it's going to take before the body is discovered so we need to move fast."

"What's the plan, then?" Interius asked.

"We need to find a mode of transportation to get us out of here but we also need to find Tali." Shepard glared at Alec's eye roll but continued on. "Also, the hangar doors are closed so we're going to have to figure out a way to open them without anyone getting wise until it's too late."

"I'll go look for a ship," Alec whispered. "Anyone else want to tag along?" He rapped Interius' arm. "How about you, big shot?"

"I'll go," Zlette hissed. "That way to make sure you won't leave before everyone else." The vorcha nodded at Shepard as he said this.

Shepard returned the gesture. "What about you, Interius? What do you want to do?"

"I'll stick with you, I guess," the turian said, trying not to look at Alec. "But aren't you going to use the demo charges? We might as well plant a few before we leave."

"Too risky," Shepard shook his head as he patted the pack thrown over his shoulder. "I don't know where Tali is located here so if I plant one in the wrong place, the explosion could possibly kill her."

"Good point."

"Right," Alec grimaced as he shuffled towards a side exit. "I'll be seeing you two soon, I guess. Just find the quarian quickly, will you? I don't want to wait all day for us to make an escape from this place…_again_."

"All part of the plan," Shepard whispered after Alec had left. He then started to walk in the opposite direction, further into the cell block under the cover of darkness.

Interius kept his rifle at hand but quickly shuffled up to Shepard. "You don't like Alec much, do you?"

"I'd be hard pressed to find reason to become somewhat inclined toward the man, yes," Shepard replied as he scanned the cells one by one, keeping his voice down. Each one was all empty, no occupants inhabiting them whatsoever.

Interius gave a little chuckle. "Ah, the human's always been like that. He's never been the type of guy that sings praises about you every day. He just sees the bad in everyone."

"So…do _you_ consider him to be a friend?"

"Spirits, no," Interius snorted. "I'd rather go on a date with a krogan before I would ever consider that annoying bastard to be _my_ friend."

Shepard made an I-told-you-so face. "Guess that answers that question." He shuffled the pack around his shoulder before he shrugged it off and held it out to Interius. "Hold this for a second, will you?"

Interius took the pack with no resistance but as soon as he shuffled it onto his shoulder, he blinked and opened the pack. "Shepard…"

"Yeah?"

The turian peered carefully into the depths of the pack before looking back up at Shepard, both hugging the wall. "I thought there were four demo charges in this pack."

"There were," Shepard nodded as he finished fiddling on his omni-tool, taking the pack back.

"'_Were?'_" Interius clarified with a disbelieving look. "There are three here, where's the fourth?" He watched the human for a few seconds before realization took him. "No…"

Shepard fixed Interius with a stare. "After the discussion we just had, would you be able to trust Alec with such information? The less he knows, the better."

"Where did you put it?" Interius asked eagerly.

"Somewhere safe," Shepard clarified. "It should be well away from this place so Tali shouldn't be harmed. But you were right; we do need a backup plan. I just happened to have already carried it out. I just figured that it would be on a need-to-know basis."

"So why trust me?"

"I don't," Shepard grinned. "Because I still haven't told you where I put it, but I do trust you a hell of a lot more than Alec, so that's something."

"I guess it is," Interius said with a resigned shrug.

The two turned the corner and Shepard instinctively looked up at the rafters, just to check if there was no shadowy presence looking to strike above them. Shepard looked back and forth, training his rifle down the endless rows of cells before he saw the row end in front of him.

"This is it," he said, moving forward quickly. "Tali's cell should be…right about…_here!_"

He walked in front of it before his face fell dramatically. Interius scrambled over to his position and he did a tiny-double take at the empty cell, spotting no one inside.

Shepard ran a hand over his head, mulling through the possibilities. "She was here…I could have sworn this was her cell. If not here, then where would she be?"

"Shepard," Interius said. "Maybe she's elsewhere in the facility. Maybe we should regroup, get everyone back together, and-"

"_She-…-ard….-lp_," a voice burst through their personal comm link.

"What was that?" Interius jumped.

"Shh!" Shepard silenced, waving his hand dramatically.

"_Need yo-….ohn…hel-"_

Shepard listened for a few more seconds before his eyes rose hopefully. "That's Tali's voice!" he quietly exclaimed. He opened his omni-tool and began running a trace for the signal. Miraculously, the source popped up in seconds. "She's only a few hundred meters away!" he said in relief before he hurried along, his caution completely removed.

"Shepard, wait!" Interius hissed as he tried to catch up to the human without making a lot of noise. "Slow down! How are you sure it's her?"

"_I'm…urt…not…ong….John…"_

"It's her," he replied grimly. "She's here. She needs my help."

Almost breaking out into a jog, Shepard burst out of the cellblock area to walk across the hangar towards the huge doors. A row of crates sat a hundred feet away from the doors and Shepard headed in that direction, glancing at his omni-tool to make sure that he was reading it correctly.

"_Shepard!_" he heard a hiss from his left. He looked over and saw Alec standing next to a Kodiak near the far wall, waving his arms furiously for him to come over. "What the fuck are you doing?"

Shepard shook his head as he rounded the corner of crates, double checking the positioning one last time. He was confused as to why the signal was leading him at the end of a row of supplies. There was nothing in this location to indicate that Tali was even around. Was she simply on another level? He looked at the boxes in confusion before looking down between one of the gaps in the row. To his horror, he saw a tiny black box, a red light flashing in quick intervals. And below the blinking light was a thin green beam that extended out over the hangar.

And he had just broken it by stepping into its path.

A brilliant light flared from overhead, making him shout out as he covered his eyes. Shepard could hear the startled cries of his squadmates as well as they too were blinded from the light. A faint rumble was now evident in the background but the illumination was so powerful that he could do nothing but sink to his knees in pain.

With a _snap_, the lights dimmed but Shepard still had spots in his vision. He rubbed at his eyes, frantically trying to make them focus until he heard the sound of rain beating upon the ground. He blinked three times in rapid succession before he stiffened in horror.

"Oldest trick in the book," Grevel chortled as he stood outside the opened hangar doors, the rain mercilessly beating on him and streaming down his mask. He lifted the enormous krogan war hammer that he held in front of him in an intimidating pose. "And I am still surprised that a simple recording managed to fool Commander Shepard. You are increasingly becoming more and more of a disappointment the further I deconstruct you, I must say."

Behind Grevel stood the entire batarian contingent all armed and armored, standing still in the raging storm, their armor shining from the rain. Lightning flashed overhead, casting a hovering Mantis into existence. The growl of Mako engines in the background were barely heard over the whipping of the wind and the pouring of the rain. Cautiously, Alec and Zlette crept over to where Shepard and Interius were standing, their hands raised in the air. The thin human wore a dark scowl and Shepard couldn't necessarily blame him this time.

"Where's Tali?" he called out, not raising his hands like the others.

"Around," Grevel shrugged. "Still alive, if that's what you want to hear."

"Show her to me now!" Shepard screamed, his noise booming above the thunder.

Grevel, enjoying the moment, just shook his head ever so slightly. "Afraid not, human. The quarian is _mine_ now. You gave up your claim to her when you abandoned her while she was in my possession. It appears that you haven't been able to protect her as well as you originally promised. Regardless, I doubt you can convince her to come back to you, considering the state she's in now."

"Son of a bitch," Shepard muttered as he took a step forward. "What the hell's he talking about?" Interius, however, made a strangled sound and grabbed at Shepard's arm, holding him back from trying to attempt to rush the armored monster.

Grevel laughed at that, now starting to look at Shepard's companions. "And what do we have here, Shepard? Replacements to fill the void left by the quarian? That was quick of you. So you have a turian now. Was that Vakarian fellow just not cutting it for you?" Grevel narrowed his eyes in complete enjoyment. "I see you've got yourself another human. From his scrawny appearance it looks like he's one of the strays. And you also have a…" Grevel stopped, his eyes widening noticeably as he glanced at Zlette. "…a _vorcha_."

"You're not taking _any_ of them," Shepard stepped up slightly as he mustered out of Interius' grip, drawing himself up higher. "It's _me_ you want, Grevel, not them."

"You're damn right it's you I want!" Grevel roared. "I just got the call from my employer, you're now target number one on my list, Shepard. You remember those humans that I've been chasing in the jungle? Well, fuck them. They mean nothing to me anymore. The current priorities have changed." He now raised his arm and pointed the huge hammer in Shepard's direction. "However, he failed to mention anything regarding what I should do with the quarian that I've recently acquired, which meant that I could do whatever I wanted with her. To tell you the truth, she's been a great source of amusement to me in the interim."

"_Goddammit_!" Shepard screamed, spittle flying from his mouth. "Grevel, you sick bastard! You let me see Tali right now and I promise that-"

"Calm down, Shepard. I haven't touched a hair on her pretty little head. Of course, with her mask off, it was an entirely different story." The jawbone slid upward in a cruel grin while the rain pattered on it, watching Shepard's expression completely freeze in horror. "Ah, yes. I keep on forgetting that you haven't seen her face yet. Well, rest assured, you have my word that her looks were not altered for the worse by my hands. Of course, looks are all rather relative these days. Heh."

"Wait!" Alec cried, his eyes darting from Shepard to Grevel. "If…if you only want him, what are you going to do to _us?_"

"Alec, shut up!" Interius hissed.

Grevel just gave a cock of his head. "I'm assuming you're thinking that I'm going to kill you after all this is over, yes? Well, in order to dispel that notion, I'm prepared to bargain. Can you provide anything to me that will dissuade me from ending your pathetic, wretched life?"

Alec eagerly began pointing at Shepard. "He's…he's got demolition charges! I-In the pack! I don't know if he planted any of them or…"

"Human!" Zlette barked in astonishment at Alec.

"Shut the fuck up, Zlette!" Alec shouted, slowly edging away from the group. "I'm not going to die in this place and I'm certainly not going to die for _you_, Shepard. I'd say I'm sorry but both of us would know that I would be lying."

A batarian walked from the group outside, a hand outstretched. The alien ripped the pack off Shepard's shoulders and walked over to Grevel, handing him the bag. Grevel took the pack and shook it slightly, hearing the contents rattle around inside, bringing a rumble of content from his throat. "Your companions are not exactly cutting-edge in terms of loyalty. Hell, I turned this one," he pointed at Alec, "from you with not even a full promise! I didn't even have to lay a finger on him!"

"You can take him," Shepard sighed with a glare at Alec. "Truth be told, I didn't like him much anyway."

"_Hm!_ Makes me wonder if I'm getting the short end of the stick on this deal. But, he did provide me with the means to demolish whatever plan you happened to pull out of your ass this time, so he has my temporary respect."

"And it's more respect any of you ever gave me," Alec sneered at the group, puffing his chest out with pride. "Don't look so sad, guys. If it was down to your life for four lousy demo charges, you bet your ass I'm taking that deal. You're just mad that you didn't think of this arrangement first, huh?"

Grevel blinked in confusion before opening the pack up, the zipper loud despite the rain outside. He looked up and glared at Shepard. "You said four charges? There's only three in this pack."

Alec's eager face fell hard as he began to stumble over his words. "T-T-Three? But I-I-I could have sworn…wh-where's the fourth?"

"The detonator is missing as well."

Alec whirled at Shepard for confirmation who only gave a shrug. "Guess you bit off more than you could chew, Alec," Shepard said mildly before he squeezed his hand on the detonator which had been hidden from view in his palm the whole time.

Grevel had gotten wise to what Shepard was about to do at the last second. Spinning around frantically, he hurled the pack containing the charges up into the air away from the hangar, the lightning catching its trajectory as it sailed through the rain. As the radio burst hit the receivers on the charges, they all blew simultaneously, creating a fireball in the night sky, consuming most of the batarian troopers positioned outside the hangar entrance. The force of the blast barreled over everyone in the vicinity, causing Grevel to drop to a knee while Shepard, Interius, Alec, and Zlette were knocked over like the rest of the troops. Shepard's back hit the ground hard, causing his shotgun and sniper to become unhooked. The weapons clattered out of arms reach, trembling while the ground vibrated beneath them.

At the same time, an explosion erupted from _underneath_ the landing pad near where the outside cellblock was housed. The fourth charge, placed at the hidden mountainside entrance, exploded away from the areas in the facility that housed the flammable gas and liquid, but the force of the explosion was so great that a side of the facility cracked and crumbled down the cliffside, a sinkhole forming over where the point of detonation occurred. The crumbling of rock caught the edge of a Mako and despite everything the driver did to keep it level, it tumbled off the cliff with an earth-shattering boom, its wheels squealing all the way.

The two explosions occurring in close proximity to the hovering Mantis, on the other hand, caused the pilot to lose complete control due to the shockwaves buffeting it from two different angles. With a few futile spirals in the air, the Mantis collided hard with the ground, the liquid fuel tank igniting with a massive _whump_, sending a blue plume of flame up into the air.

Alec had dropped to the ground at the first sight of fire and yelped as debris bounced all around him. He shakily got to his feet, about to flee, when Zlette ran over and sank his teeth into the flesh of Alec's arm. The human howled in pain while Shepard and Interius watched the whole thing in shock. Blood was running freely down Alec's arm and Zlette was snarling like a wild animal. The vorcha continued to bite deeper, his claws raking across Alec's face.

Shepard and Interius, by this point, had scrambled outside, the rain pelting at their faces. Both had their rifles out and ready, taking advantage of executing any batarians who were still alive after the demo charges exploded over their heads. They crouched behind the wheels of an idling Mako, returning fire to any of the troopers who were coherent and brave enough to mount an attack, despite all of the setbacks on their end. Many of the batarians fell and several more chose to flee into the jungle, taking their lives with them.

Back inside, Alec fell to the ground, causing Zlette to release his grip on the human's arm with his jaw. However, the vorcha was not done yet with the mauling. Yanking a wicked looking knife from his belt, Zlette repeatedly began stabbing the human's chest, blood fountaining in the air each time he pulled the knife out. Alec gurgled helplessly as his body jolted with every intrusion of the knife.

"_Betrayer!_" Zlette yelled between each ram of the knife. "Faithless, cowardly betrayer!"

As Zlette began to slash at the now mortally wounded Alec, the vorcha raised his arm high to strike at the human's face when the alien was thrown off the human by a black blur, the wind completely knocked out of him. The knife flew in an arc through the air and landed just a few inches away from where Zlette was now clutching his ribs. Groaning, the vorcha began to reach for the weapon when the krogan war hammer slammed itself down on Zlette's hand, crushing the bone and spraying blood all over the place.

"You vorcha are all the same," Grevel growled as he stood over the howling alien. He quickly got to his knees and grasped Zlette's head, forcing him to look at the mask as the powerful hands held him in place. "It makes no difference what you did or didn't do to me. Your entire species is a blight that must be eradicated from this galaxy. And I…will…_happily_ carry it out!" The vorcha began to gag from pain and Grevel lowered his head even further down. "You might ask why I'm doing it, and is it because of what you turned me into? No. It's what your kind did to an innocent human named Sophie, how she was ruthlessly violated before her skull was smashed in. She did nothing to you, yet you treated her like her life meant nothing." He tightened his grip on Zlette's head. "And do you know why I care? Because Sophie…was…_mine!_"

As he shouted, Grevel's thumbs pushed themselves into Zlette's eye sockets, applying direct pressure and puncturing the corneas quickly. Zlette screamed as blood began to pool from his destroyed eyes but Grevel kept pushing forward, continuing until his thumbs were scraping against bone, a gelatinous mess surrounding his fingers. Furiously, the wails of the vorcha only making him more enraged, he hooked his hands around the alien's head and _pulled_ with all his strength. There was a slight crack at first and then Zlette's head burst apart, the two halves of his face falling on either sides of his body. Bone and blood popped like a balloon, making a gory mess upon the pavement. After a while, Grevel pried his hands from the ooze that used to be Zlette, watching his hands faintly tremble as a reddish-black pulp dripped from his fingers.

Over the hissing of gunfire, Shepard's face turned into a grimace. He had held no love for Zlette but that didn't mean that the vorcha deserved a fate like that. In a rage, he shouldered his rifle directly at the blood-streaked monstrosity and pulled the trigger methodically, watching as his bullets streaked toward the target.

Grevel's shields took the brunt of the impact, as Shepard suspected, but this caused Grevel to turn around furiously to see Shepard taking potshots at him. With a roar, Grevel yanked the war hammer off of Zlette's destroyed hand and sprinted outside, taking cover behind a row of boxed munitions. Shepard followed, despite Interius' feeble protests and cautiously crept around the corner, ignoring the distant booms filling the air. He quickly jumped to peer around the row of supplies but blinked as he saw nothing but rows of empty cages beyond the rain.

With only a splash warning him, Shepard jumped back just in time to see a grey blur scythe past his face. He flinched backward, narrowly escaping having his head lopped off, but the hammer's arc caught the edge of the assault rifle, knocking it askew to lie in the mud. Shepard backed up in alarm as Grevel steadied the hammer in his hands, the mask still giving off its perpetual grin.

"I'm not going to collect you alive this time, Shepard," Grevel called out, the rain drenching his coat and washing Zlette's blood off his arms.

"That's funny," Shepard gave a wry smile, breathing around the water collecting on his face. "Because I've always wanted _you_ dead."

Grevel stomped forward at the same time Shepard drew his knife. His pistol remained holstered, because he knew he wasn't going to penetrate Grevel's shields any time soon. With a bellow, Grevel smashed the hammer down on the ground, inches from Shepard foot. Mud and brown water splashed over Shepard's legs from the blow, the mallet sinking into the soft earth. He lightly moved forward as if he was going to attack Grevel, but his enemy unnaturally picked the hammer back up and swung it in a sideways arc, knocking a crate of ammo over after Shepard ducked the blow.

"Where's Tali, Grevel?" Shepard asked calmly, but there was still the tiniest hint of urgency in his voice.

"You'll find out soon enough," Grevel growled before he suddenly lunged forward, catching the front end of the war hammer in the middle of Shepard's stomach.

With a wheeze, Shepard fell down into the mud, his face getting caked with the stuff. Through the rain permeating his vision, Shepard barely had enough time to see the outline of Grevel, illuminated from the lightning overhead, about to strike a fatal blow. Calling upon all his strength, he shut his eyes and rolled to the right, away from the crazed demon.

The first blow missed, as did the second, and the third. Grevel screamed each time he savagely brought the hammer down, wanting it to find Shepard's head and crush it like a ripe melon. Shepard kept on rolling away, getting further and further until he had enough room to finally stand. His armor looked like he had dunked himself into a vat of brown paint from his little romp in the mud. His face was just about completely coated but at least the rain was partially dabbing the mud off a little at a time.

Grevel roared and brought the hammer down again, narrowly missing Shepard as he dodged out of the way in the nick of time. The hammer blow smashed down on the front of a parked Mako near the edge of the cliff, dislodging its tow hook and making it bounce on its shock absorbers. Metal crumpled and the war hammer momentarily lodged itself in the front of the tank.

Breath in his throat, Shepard lunged in and sliced with his combat knife. Grevel let go of his grip on the hammer to properly dodge but Shepard's knife found an opening on Grevel's arm. Cloth tore and flesh parted, causing Grevel to yank his hand back while Shepard retreated in preparation. The knife dripped blood, the color too dark to make out in the current lighting, and Grevel stared at his wound at the same time.

"Where is she?" Shepard asked again, voice strengthened by steel.

A predatory hiss escaped from Grevel's mask. "You're going to have to do better than that, Shepard. At least make me _feel_ your blows!" He yanked out the hammer from the Mako with an inhuman feat of strength, causing Shepard to step back in alarm. "I'll break you in two if I must!"

"Try it, asshole."

Grevel swung again but instead of backing off more, Shepard sprung forward and latched onto the hammer at the terminus of the swing. Grevel blinked, shocked that the human would attempt such a brazen move and paused for a split second. Shepard tried to yank the hammer out of Grevel's hands but the enormous figure was simply too strong. In desperation, Shepard thrust out a fist and watched in satisfaction as the butt of his knife impacted on the front of Grevel's helmet, snapping his head back.

His foe grunted at that, which only encouraged Shepard more. He laid out a right hook, wincing as it felt like he was punching a steel wall, but Grevel staggered from the blow nonetheless. Shepard flexed his fingers, hoping they wouldn't break from this sort of punishment, and proceeded to hit Grevel once in the stomach, followed by a strong uppercut. Grevel yelled loudly as he now was on the retreat from Shepard's assault, but he found a fire inside him and planted his feet on the ground.

With both hands holding the hammer, Grevel thrust his arms out and caught the edge of the staff on the bridge of Shepard's nose. The human cried out, a gash now weeping blood over his muddy face. Grevel, grinning, rotated the hammer in his hands and the staff end of it smashed into the side of Shepard's head, knocking him to the ground. He slid on the ground for a bit before he realized that he was lying dangerously close to the edge of the crater left from the explosion.

Now that Shepard was at a proper distance for him to use the hammer, Grevel quickly lifted the weapon and brought it down. But, with a speed that Grevel had not anticipated, Shepard rolled out of the way of the blow, back away from the crumbling edge. At the apex of his roll, Shepard extended his arm and his combat knife cut through Grevel's thigh, sending more warm blood gushing into the night. Shepard, in a practiced maneuver, exited his roll and quickly got to his feet, holding his knife in a reverse grip.

Grevel put a hand to his freshest cut in horror, watching his blood seep through his fingers. He was panting in an animalistic rhythm, complete fury blazing in his eyes. He staggered on his two feet and watched Shepard tense himself, ready to mount another attack.

Shepard shot Grevel another smile as he spat the blood from his mouth. "Last chance, Grevel. Tell me where Tali is and I'll make this quick."

He only received a bark of laughter in disbelief. "You actually believe you're going to win, don't you? You are a fool, Shepard, because you still aren't aware of the horrors that await you."

"I've seen enough of your horrors," Shepard grimaced remembering the searing pain in his chest from when it had been stomped on. "I think I have a pretty good idea of what you're talking about. Give me Tali, Grevel, or at least tell me where she is, and you might just walk away."

"How magnanimous of you, Shepard," Grevel spat, ignoring the random bursts of gunfire from whatever troops were still in the area. "But you are only pursuing a fool's errand while _I_ hold the better hand. The river will be revealed soon, Shepard, and only then will you realize that you have completely lost."

"And what if I think you're bluffing?"

A simple smile came from the mask. "Then that should only make you more afraid."

With the hammer in his right hand, Grevel pushed off at a full run, rushing at Shepard with all the energy he had left. With only a split second to contemplate the consequences of his actions, Shepard silently swore before he headed in to match Grevel's movements. The gap diminished rapidly as the two closed the distance, their weapons in hand, ready to strike.

With a quick adjustment of his hand placement, Grevel raised the hammer over his shoulder halfway to his target. Seeing what he was about to do, Shepard grunted as he pushed his body over the limit, breaking out into a full sprint towards the demon, intent on charging him into the ground.

His jaw spitting all kinds of hate, his eyes emblazoned with hell, Grevel swung the hammer milliseconds too late, caught off guard by Shepard's increase in speed. Having plotted out the trajectory of the blow in his mind, Shepard dropped to his knees at the last second, his body skidding along the ground. He didn't blink as the head of the hammer barely missed his scalp by inches from the diagonal arc, his breathing slowed to an unnatural tempo. Thrusting out a foot to halt his slide, Shepard sprang back up into the air and he threw his hand out, feeling the blade of the knife wedge in Grevel's back, feeling a burst of euphoria at the sound of Grevel's cry of pain.

But suddenly, an armored elbow smashed itself into Shepard's cheekbone, completely throwing him back down to the ground. That side of his face went numb, his other side submerged into the muddy water. Gasping for air, Shepard rolled onto his back just in time to see Grevel drop the war hammer and slowly turn around after a few more paces. Shepard had expected the mercenary to be paralyzed in pain from the knife blow, though. He did not expect him to still be _smiling_.

Grevel looked indifferently at the knife embedded in his shoulder blade. "I have to admit, Shepard," he sighed, "it's been a long time since I've been able to feel real pain. I'd almost forgotten the sensation…" Quickly, he bent an arm over to grasp the hilt and, with a tiny sound of discomfort, ripped the knife out of his body, to Shepard's astonishment. As Grevel lightly shook the blood off the blade, he started to walk over to the downed human again. "_My_ knife now."

Before he could advance any further, a smattering of bullets impacted on Grevel's shields, causing him to stagger. He lifted an arm to protect his face and blinked in astonishment as he saw several forms sprinting out of the jungle, howling various war cries. All were armed and they were firing liberally, several choosing to aim at Grevel.

The human resistance had arrived.

Taking advantage of the distracted Grevel, Shepard shot back to his feet and reached for the hammer that had been dropped between them. His arm muscles aching, Shepard struggled to lift the weapon for a brief second before he hefted it up to his waist and gave a mighty swing.

Grevel turned around in time for the mallet to strike him full on his side, cracking his armor beneath. With a strangled yell, he grasped at nothing and tumbled off the edge of the cratered plateau, into the bowels of the facility. Shepard gasped in relief but did not bother to look over the side, just in case Grevel was only faking his fall. He wiped his face with a dirty hand and retreated back to where Interius was still positioned, still holding the hammer in his hands.

"Shepard!" Interius exclaimed. "Thank the spirits, you're still alive!"

"Yeah," Shepard winced as he gingerly felt his cheekbone. "Just barely holding together, though."

"Thought you were going to bite it after you engaged that Grevel person."

"He's not dead yet," Shepard breathed. "Guy like that, he's only going to walk away from a simple fall."

"You think my distraction helped?" a familiar voice came from behind Shepard. He turned around and blinked through the rain to see a grinning Deborah drop to a crouch, a smoking rifle in her hands.

Shepard gave her a genuine smile. "So do I have you to thank for giving Grevel that distraction?"

"I believe so," she answered over the repeated chatter of guns. "I took thirty of my people with me after you guys left, just in case the escape plan was going to fail spectacularly."

"In that case, I guess that's twice I now owe you. I promise that I won't point a gun at your head this time in repayment."

Deborah shook her head. "Just tell everyone what's going on when you do leave and we'll be square. You find your quarian yet?"

"Not yet," Shepard sighed, beginning to fidget near the idling Mako. "I couldn't find her in the cells and she's not out here. She's got to be still inside the hangar, that's the only logical place she could be."

"You go find her," Deborah nodded as she checked her clip on her rifle. "We'll hold the fort out here and give you proper cover from the rest of these batarian bastards."

"Appreciate it, Deborah. Thanks." He set the hammer down near the Mako for its heavy weight was only going to slow him down.

The rain stinging his face, Shepard got up and ran for the huge doors, crouching occasionally behind barricades or crates for cover. The bodies of humans and batarians piled where they fell, though most of the remains that Shepard had to avoid stepping on were predominantly batarian, flung from the initial demo charge detonation.

Shepard drew his pistol and shot a pair of guards holding outside the doors. They fell clutching their weapons, blood dribbling down from the holes in their chests. He continued on, past the tiny flames that had erupted on the ground, steaming from the water pelting down onto them. His greaves were splashed with mud, his footsteps hard and heavy.

As soon as he reached the doors, he blinked to clear his eyes as a figure walked out of the smoky interior, a silhouette on black. In anticipation, Shepard trained his pistol on the shadow, thinking that it was Grevel. He peered down the sights, waiting for the figure to be revealed by what little light there was outside, waiting for the moment to pull on the trigger.

But, as the smoke parted, Shepard's eyes widened as Tali stepped through, one hand holding a shotgun while the other was positioned limply at her side. She looked unhurt; her suit was still intact from his position. Her eyes gave a vacant expression and her gait was slow, but Shepard had never been happier to see her before in his life.

"Tali…" he whispered, hardly daring to believe it. Shepard slowly began to smile broadly as he started to jog toward her. "Tali!" he called. "_Tali!_"

He had made his promise. He had come back to her.

Tali's head whipped in the direction of the noise and she saw Shepard begin to run towards her. Her eyes gave a slow blink in response to the advancing human, but there was no warmth in the gaze. Something twitched inside her and she quickly raised her shotgun, the barrel pointed directly at Shepard's chest.

Shepard, skidding to a stop, looked at the quarian with a confused expression. He saw her fixed stare through her visor, her eyes blank and unfocused. There was no joy in them, no happiness, no despair. There was nothing in those eyes that reminded him of the Tali he knew.

The muzzle of the shotgun was still aimed at him, though. Shepard, desperation and hurt flooding him, raised his arms to speak to Tali calmly when she unexpectedly pulled the trigger, the blast of the gun echoing into the night.

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><p><em><strong>AN: Will work on getting the next chapter prepared as soon as possible. I think you'll enjoy it a lot, if my outline notes are any indication.**_


	11. Chapter 11: Tipping Point

The shield around Shepard fizzled but the force of the blast threw him to the ground like a rag doll. With a grunt, he hit hard, skidding on the mud a few feet back. He groaned as his ribs twinged in protest, strained from the shotgun blast to the chest. He heard the _chu-chunk_ of the shotgun's slide being racked back, causing him to sit back up in alarm.

"Tali, wait!" he yelled, throwing out an arm, panic enveloping his voice.

Not listening, Tali fired again but Shepard had scrambled to his feet only seconds in time. The patch of ground burst away, the muddy clump sailing back through the air.

Shepard circled, confusion etched on his face. "Tali, what are you doing?!" he screamed, hoping to pierce the shadowy veil that had been thrown over her. Her only response was to stare back at him with cold eyes, no emotion shining through them. There was no life in those eyes, nothing resembling the plucky, curious quarian that Shepard had come to deeply care for. It hurt, seeing that such a change had washed over her like this.

Right now, Tali'Zorah did not exist.

Taking a step forward, Tali racked the slide again and fired, the recoil shunting her arms upward. Shepard sidestepped the shot, almost reaching for his pistol but stopping the impulse at the last second. He was not going to hurt her. Even with his life in the balance, he would never aim a gun at her.

"Tali!" he cried. "Snap out of it!"

Still she did not listen.

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><p><em>The creature buzzed at her, speaking in its unfamiliar language. The light in front of her was a continuous glare but her visor was working overtime to filter it out. Shadows flitted and merged around her, surrounding her in a continuous smoky fog. She passed through, the vapors dispersing at her presence to reveal her enemy standing directly in front of her.<em>

_The humanoid form of the geth trooper continuously clicked and whirred at her, but she could not comprehend the electronic gibberish coming from its vocal emulators._

_Strangely, the geth was not attacking her, refusing to pick up a weapon. This only made her more enraged. The damned machine was toying with her, then._

_Pulling the slide of the shotgun towards her in a quick and furious motion, she saw the geth making wild hand signals in her direction. Was this some sort of taunt? _

_Gritting her teeth, she fired her weapon, but the cursed geth dodged it again. Still it did not attack, but why? What sort of gratification could a machine gain from pushing her further and further into fury? Was it a corrupt unit or had they evolved to challenge her psychologically?_

_But it was a geth, why would it not attack her when every single one she had met had the base instinct to open fire on her before?_

_The cacophony of noises from the geth sounded again, but she shouldered her weapon and tried to breathe a little more calmly for the next shot. Soon, this geth would pay the price and she could settle for bringing one more of her people's brethren back to the hell they crawled out of._

* * *

><p>"NO!" Shepard roared as he saw Tali raise the shotgun again. "Tali, please don't! I'm John, remember? <em>John Shepard!<em> You're the only one who calls me by that name now. I'm not going to hurt you! Please stop fighting, Tali!"

Still, her blank eyes registered nothing, even as she stared at John at point-blank range. Shepard, hands outstretched, slowly began to walk up to Tali. The lightning and rain sullied his vision, and he could feel the steam rising from his scalp, but he pushed all of the uncomfortable stimuli aside, ignoring the sounds of battle in the background to focus on the one person in front of him.

The person it felt like it had taken a lifetime to reunite with.

A little _snickt_ of Tali's finger's slipping on the trigger guard alerted Shepard to what the quarian was about to do. With a yell, he dove to the side, the burst narrowly missing his torso as his eardrums vibrated from the close proximity of the discharge. Hitting the ground hard, Shepard spat as he landed directly on his chest, but he rolled onto his back in preparation to dodge in case Tali recycled her heat diffusion systems.

But he saw that the quarian was looking down at her weapon, confused. Shepard, watching the steam waft off the metal barrel, realized that Tali had finally overheated her shotgun, having fired it too many times in a quick succession without allowing it to cool down properly. Heart in his throat, he leapt to his feet and gave a mighty swipe with his hand. He made a mental sigh of relief when his hand caught the gun in his slap, knocking it out of Tali's hands for it to land safely in the mud.

Shepard prepared to confront Tali and restrain her but she swiftly crouched down and procured her knife from her boot holster. Shepard had to leap back as Tali took a wild slash at him, intent on opening his throat and letting his blood burst into the night.

"Tali!" Shepard yelled as he had to jump back again and again. "Tali, _stop!_"

She did not stop, but seemed to increase her resolve by stepping in closer and closer, her swings becoming more frantic. Shepard could feel the wind from the blade narrowly missing him each time she slashed, his mind working at different angles to try to find a way to disarm Tali without hurting her.

He was just afraid that she would not leave him any choice.

"Wait, Tali!" Shepard cried as he ducked a vicious blow. "Tali!" He dodged as she kept on pushing him back through the compound, the knife catching the edge of a bolt in the sky above. Rain fell, illuminated from the heavenly light, some of it trailing from the edge of Tali's knife as she continued to swing away.

Shepard still did not grasp for a weapon. He did not move to hurt her. All he did, all he could do, was dodge Tali's attacks. But he knew that he could not avoid her indefinitely.

Tali was panting underneath her mask, but there was nothing but a feral anger underneath. She did not form words, only noises as she advanced, his death reflected in her visor. Her hood was soaked, clinging to her helmet as the water sluiced off her, dripping down the sides of her mask.

"Tali, please!" Shepard tried again. "I will not hurt you, Tali. I need you to focus on me. Forget about everything else, just focus on me! Tali, _please stop!_"

* * *

><p><em>Why was the geth persisting in not attacking?<em>

_Surely it had to know that she wanted it dead. When it had knocked her gun out of her grip, she thought that was the end of her. But, for some reason, it had backed away, allowing her enough time to grab a blade. But no matter how hard she tried to land a blow, it always jumped back out of arm's reach while clattering in that stupid warble of theirs. _

_Damn it! Was it not interpreting that she was desperately trying to kill it?_

_Infuriatingly, aside from disarming her earlier, the geth had still not made a move to harm her. Was it waiting until she tired herself out? Was it simply looking for an opening in her stance for it to land a deadly blow?_

_No, that couldn't be it! Geth were not that smart, certainly not smart enough to analyze fighting patterns in an instant, and they certainly were never programmed for behavior like this._

_Just what was this demon?_

* * *

><p>With a grunt and a final push, Grevel hauled himself over the lip of the hole. The edges began crumbling away so he rolled over to relative safety. He was breathing heavily, not from the exertion, but from the rage at being disposed of so quickly. That was <em>not<em> how this was supposed to happen!

He still held Shepard's knife in his hands and he clenched the grip so hard he almost believed the blade would snap in half. He looked down at his ruined coat, streaked by dirt and grime, and searched for any other weapon at his disposal. No such luck, they had all been dislodged when he had fallen off into the hole caused by the demolition charge.

In the end, it made no difference. Weapon or no, Grevel could still kill and that meant he could still fight. He flexed his jaw inside his mask as he looked around the landscape for Shepard, wanting to seek his prey out again.

To his indifference, he noted that many of the bodies strewn about the place were all batarians. There was still a faint chatter of weapons fire that echoed over the rain, but it was distant and isolated. Guess there were more humans lingering in the jungle than he had anticipated, and they were quite effectively organized too. Still, he was only looking for one human now. No one else could stop him and anyone who got in his way could only delay him. The hunt was not yet over.

A shout carried above the wind and the rain, turning his attention in that direction. From behind a tower of crated weapons, Grevel saw Shepard stumble into view, repeatedly trying to evade a set of bladed attacks from…the quarian, of all people.

This brought a smile to Grevel's face, causing the jaw of the mask to lift in response. This was certainly an outcome he had anticipated but it was exhilarating to watch it play out in front of him. Even though the main effects of the oxidized swarm venom had long passed, it still maintained a long potency without the effective treatment, which he had intentionally failed to provide Tali at the conclusion of their meeting together. He had watched hardened criminals curl up in fear for hours afterward because the hallucinations went through different stages and every person's "trip" was unique to them alone.

Based on the fact that the quarian was wielding a knife on Shepard in an aggressive manner, he surmised that she likely thought Shepard to be an enemy. That outcome was better than he expected because the lingering effect was brought about randomly, pulling from the host their worst fears and playing them out for them as if it was coming to life.

Grevel laughed to himself as he saw Shepard duck another nasty swing from the quarian. It was so very satisfying to see the look of ultimate despair on the human's face. _Now_ he knew what it meant to lose all one had.

But, such moments were not meant to be savored for long, unfortunately. Brandishing Shepard's knife in front of him, Grevel growled as he staggered to his feet, finding his balance first before staking in Shepard's direction. The human's back was turned as he was trying to sway the quarian out of her mental predicament by yelling her name over and over again. Grevel snorted at that, because that was akin to trying to wake someone who had blacked out by quietly reciting to them a bedtime story.

Grevel was twenty meters away, his pace increasing as Shepard backed up from Tali. He started to enter into a sideways posture as he approached the human, who was not breaking away from the quarian at all. It would be interesting to note that Tali'Zorah would prove to be Shepard's downfall in the end, her betrayal providing the distraction that would lead to the death of the Council's savoir. The historians were going to just love this.

Just seconds away from the final move, Grevel raised his arm up high, preparing to plunge the knife into the back of Shepard's neck when a shot suddenly rang out, and Grevel found himself knocked to the ground. He growled as he found himself in a sitting-up position, his back supported by a fuel drum. His side was hurting so he pressed a hand over it, feeling his glove go damp. He raised his arm and saw his blood shining on it, causing him to look down in shock to see the slight hole in his side, completely penetrating his armor and his shields.

The slight gurgle of liquid also drew his attention behind him. He shifted his body and saw that the fuel drum that he had been leaning against had been punctured, the liquid spilling out of the hole. Grevel stared at the opening from where the amber liquid was flowing for a good second.

_Did a bullet just pass all the way through me and into the fuel drum?_

Quickly following the trajectory of the projectile in his mind, Grevel's head whipped around and he had to squint to spot a crouched figure near the wall of the mountain. He blinked as he saw Deborah adjust her aim with her sniper rifle across the way and for a brief moment, he could have sworn that she smiled at him.

He only had time to see the flash before the bullet hit the tank near his head, sparking as it ricocheted off the surface. He was about to roar in laughter at the poor aim of the human but that quickly vanished when the remnants of the spark landed in the spreading pool of fuel, quickly combusting and creating a massive fireball.

The woman had been aiming perfectly straight, he realized too late.

Grevel surged out of the flaming pool, but the fuel had already soaked through his coat, which had ignited after being so saturated with the stuff. Flames ran along his body, making him look more demonic in appearance Frantically, he ripped at the smoldering fabric, tearing it off his armored body. There was a searing sound in the air, like a roast crackling on a spit, and a pungent scent filled his nostrils.

Surrounded by fire, Grevel screamed.

* * *

><p>Tali's next charge was so great that she staggered heavily, but Shepard still did not strike out at her. Rather, he stepped to the side and the quarian almost fell over from her powerful blow. Sweat was pouring down Shepard's face and from the sound of Tali's breathing, she was just as exhausted as he was.<p>

"Tali," he begged. "Put the knife down, _please_. Let me help you, Tali. I'm your _friend!_"

Tali said nothing, like before, but she started to approach more cautiously, as if she was having second thoughts about what she was doing. Gingerly, she lifted her knife again for yet another slash when Grevel's earsplitting roar from his immolation, dangerously close, bellowed all around them.

Shepard instinctively glanced at a flaming blur to his right, which happened to be Grevel running past a Mako towards someone in the distance at full speed. The mercenary had been set on fire, but was not nearly dead enough to be downed from that.

_That monster can't be killed!_ Shepard thought miserably.

He looked back to see Tali still staring in Grevel's direction, her gaze fixed on the voice of her tormentor. Her head was turned far enough, her positioning slackened, that Shepard knew what to do in the blink of an eye. Silently, he lunged forward and knocked Tali's arm out of the way, causing her to lose her grip on the knife. With his other arm, he hooked it around Tali's chest and tackled her to the ground, spraying mud everywhere.

Clutching her to his body, Shepard was now wrestling the hysterically shrieking quarian in his arms. He pushed with his legs, sitting him up so that his back was pressing against a wheel of a Mako. Tali writhed in his grip, trying to break free, her legs kicking everywhere. Shepard's arms ached as he tried to make Tali hold still, but her panic was beginning to overpower his strength, he could feel his arms starting to slip.

Tilting his head so that her bucking helmet wouldn't smash into his face, Shepard began looking around for anything he could use to stabilize Tali, but he was in no such luck. There was nothing on the ground, nothing hanging to the side, nothing on his person that he could use whatsoever-

_Wait a minute…_ Shepard realized as a faint rattle in his pocket sounded. _Oh my god. Is that…?_

Furiously plunging his hand into his side pocket, he willed his fumbling fingers to be careful as he procured the long, thin object without sticking himself with it. Turning it in his hands, Shepard stilled his breathing as he positioned the nashi thorn just over Tali's shoulder, her struggling not ceasing any. He stared at the long point for a while, watching it gleam sinisterly while droplets fell off it. Would something like this work? Was the risk too great? Would the venom in the thorn kill Tali before he could act quickly?

Would it bring her back to him?

"Tali," he whispered into her ear. "Forgive me."

Quickly, Shepard shut his eyes at the same time he stabbed the nashi thorn down. He felt it break the outer layer of Tali's enviro-suit and plunge an inch in. With a gasp, he immediately pulled the thorn out of her body, a faint hissing from her suit's omni-foam layer sealing the tiny puncture hole up. He still held the bloody thorn with a trembling hand, still holding Tali tightly to his body.

As the nashi poison began to spread throughout her body, Tali jolted as if she had touched a live wire, her eyes wide in terror. Her limbs stretched out as far as they could go and her breathing became quick and shallow. Her toiling gradually ceased, her movements now sluggish. Tali soon became limp in Shepard's arms, only a faint gasping coming from her vocabulator.

"Come on, Tali," Shepard assured as he now groped for something else in another pocket, dropping the nashi thorn back in. "You're strong. You're the most determined woman I've ever met in my life. Just hold on for a minute longer. Fight it out, Tali! _Fight it!_"

His hand closed around the object Shepard had been seeking, and with a sob of relief he brought it out and tore off the packaging with his teeth. The antidote syringe, containing the vital medicine, was still intact and ready. Carefully, Shepard traced his hands around to Tali's shoulder and took off the folded flap that covered her mounted injection ports. With abnormally steady hands now, Shepard carefully eased the syringe into one of the ports and depressed the plunger, sending the anti-toxin agent into Tali's circulatory system.

Shepard cast the spent syringe aside and replaced the flap on Tali's shoulder. Feeling her limbs relax, Shepard held her while the medicine quickly did its work. She hadn't gotten that large of a dose from the thorn and she was exposed for only milliseconds to the atmosphere of Anhur. Swiftly, Tali's breathing began to clear and she began shaking as her core temperature varied all over the place.

Still, Shepard held her, running his hands along her arms in a soothing touch. Tali's head lolled back with a sigh and Shepard shut his eyes while feeling the tormented body of the quarian relax in his grip, a tear running down his face.

"Stay alive, Tali," Shepard said, his voice cracking slightly. "It's all over now. You won't be hurt again. I came back for you, just like I promised." He touched the bottom of her helmet in a reassuring gesture. "I now promise, Tali, that I will never leave you again. I care about you too much to put you through this much suffering. A good person like you doesn't deserve this. You didn't deserve any of this."

As the rain fell, Shepard continued to hold the quarian as she stirred feebly. From beyond the purple covering, he saw a faint glow as Tali's eyes cracked open, a familiar spark twinkling within. Shepard's mouth opened slightly but he didn't speak, not knowing what to say next.

"_J…J-John?_" Tali croaked hopefully. "Is…is it…really…you?"

"It is," Shepard laughed, more tears falling now. "It's me, Tali. I'm here with you now."

With a faint giggle, Tali lightly brushed her fingertips upon Shepard's cheek, a confirmation of his tangibility. "Th-Thank you…f-for coming back to me."

Shepard held her hand to his cheek, not caring about the long-term consequences of the act, instead choosing to focus on the now. "You're all that matters to me, Tali. All of that and more. I could never leave someone like you behind."

* * *

><p><em>Fire!<em> Draped in fire! That fucking bitch had set him on fire!

With his long coat discarded, Grevel was not being dragged down as much from wind resistance, allowing him to travel at a blinding sprint. Parts of his armor were still ablaze and the flames whipped as he ran towards the human woman, the distance between them decreasing rapidly with every second.

Deborah saw Grevel hurtling in her direction and she immediately shouldered her rifle again. She looked through her scope but was hasty in aiming and the first shot sailed past the approaching thug, who didn't even flinch. Cursing, she didn't wait for the rifle to cool down as she aimed a little more to the left, pointing at the center of mass instead of the head this time. As soon as Grevel's body filled the scope, she fired again, praying for a hit.

Unfortunately, Deborah's body had been shaking from nerves and her shot sang only millimeters away from Grevel, who pushed his strained muscles to the limit as he screamed toward the human. Deborah, now panicking, pulled the trigger without aiming but the rifle refused to fire. Her last shot had overheated the weapon and it would be a few more seconds before it cooled down properly.

But those were a few seconds that Deborah did not have.

With a leap, Grevel savagely tackled Deborah, his searing hands grabbing at her face. Deborah shrieked as the still flaming monster burned her skin wherever he touched, her face slowly getting charred away. Grevel roared in the human's face, watching her skin slowly crack and peel away, revealing slick, blistering tissue underneath. The dying flames lapping at his arms spread to Deborah's head, causing her hair to alight, searing her scalp.

"How does it feel, bitch?" Grevel growled as he continued to hold onto Deborah's head, blinding her with pain. "Now you know what the fire does to you, human. _Now…you…know!"_

Operating on an endless supply of adrenaline, Grevel raised Deborah's head off the ground and brutally smashed her down on top of a rock partially submerged by the mud. There was a knocking sound followed by a rapid splintering noise and Deborah's screams were silenced.

Grevel looked away from the human's brains painting the rock, still panting heavily as he looked around for Shepard. This was not over. His quarry was still alive somewhere nearby.

After two seconds had passed, Grevel spotted the familiar N7-draped form of Shepard huddled over by a Mako with the turian that had initially accompanied him to this place. What was confusing by this was the fact that the quarian was lying in his arms, feebly stirring.

She was still alive, Grevel saw, but Tali was no longer attacking Shepard. It was like she was no longer under the influence of-

_The swarm venom… How could she…_

"_NOOOOO!_" Grevel screamed in horror, causing Shepard to turn around, alerted from the yell. "That's impossible! _That's just not possible!_"

With a dark look on his face, Shepard passed Tali over to Interius to care for before he picked up the krogan war hammer. With a look of malice that Grevel had never seen before on the human, Shepard bellowed in rage as he ran to confront his enemy once again.

Grevel got to his feet as well and met Shepard just in time for the human to level an enormous blow at him with the hammer. His reflexes sluggish, Grevel's head snapped to the side as the mallet smashed into his helmet. He spat blood through his mask, the covering dented. He barely had time to recover before Shepard brought the weapon back around, whipping Grevel's head in the other direction this time.

Momentarily dropping to a knee, Grevel felt the blood pouring down his face as Shepard prepared another blow. With a surge of energy, though, Grevel leapt up and grabbed the staff of the hammer, holding it out in between the two as both jockeyed for possession.

"_Give me that!"_ Grevel screamed, jaw clamping down hard enough to bite through bone.

Shepard just snarled and took one hand off the grip, only using his other to hold onto the hammer. Grevel blinked at this inexplicable action when Shepard reared back and smashed him in the helmet with his free hand. With a cry, Grevel's hands released their hold on the hammer, his head unexpectedly throbbing from the pain.

The human still said nothing, as he was breathing too hard for him to form words. With a twist of his arms, the butt end of the hammer surged upwards and battered Grevel's head once more. Grevel staggered back with each blow, too wounded to properly defend himself now. Shepard was ignoring the steady ache in his arms from all the swinging, but he kept at it anyway, vowing not to fall until Grevel fell before him. He whaled on the mercenary, striking blow after blow on his helmet, never at the body.

Grevel's diode in his right eye winked out from an impact, leaving him half blind as glass crumbled around him. He coughed, spraying the ground with blood still too dark to make out in the current lighting. It felt like his body was held on by tape, everything hurting around him. The pain was beginning to register again, the steady throb a most unwelcome feeling. Grevel still refused to go down, choosing to stand up and grin at Shepard with his mask.

It was like he was daring Shepard to hit him.

With a scream of rage, Shepard locked his arms and hurled all of his weight into the most ferocious blow of the night. The enormous edge of the hammer caught Grevel's helmet at the perfect angle, shattering the locks and propelling the covering to fly off the mercenary's head in pieces. The jaw of the mask sailed away to bounce on the ground, glinting sinisterly in the rain.

Shepard's body was turned around from the sheer force of the swing but he recovered in time to see Grevel move shakily back to his feet. The human panted, the rain glimmering off of him, his body too exhausted to lift the hammer one last time. He dropped the weapon at his feet, drawing on any reserves of strength his body still carried to get him through the night.

Grevel's hands dropped away from his face, revealing a blood-stained expression so horribly engrained with anger that it made Shepard stop in his tracks, all his strength leaving him at the sight of the terrible look. The mottled face immediately registered on Shepard, having seen the species many times before. But this was something different. The fringe on the head was shorter and slightly curled inward, there was a distinct lack of face paint applied to the appearances, and the forming of the avian carapace made the overall features seem less severe than the species' male counterpart.

But that was not the only shock given to Shepard. One of Grevel's eyes was completely bloodshot, a blue orb as opposed to the other clear one. That was most likely from an old injury which was apparent by the long scars running along the top of the brow, highlighted by spare patches of missing carapace all over the face, revealing a white epidermis underneath. Little twinkling cybernetics shone on top of the head, regulating and repairing the damage, tiny metallic strips covering the face. But the most horrifying look was the fact that the mandibles on Grevel's face were completely missing, exposing the lower row of teeth on the turian's face. A patch of scar tissue on both sides of the head gleamed white, evidence where they had been cut off previously.

The female turian breathed in and out, blue blood dripping off her face liberally. Without the mask covering her face, Grevel's voice was a lighter pitch, her flanged speech coming out unfiltered. She seemed to realize that Shepard was just standing in front of her, looking dumbstruck. With an edge approaching her voice, Grevel screamed and launched herself at Shepard, having called up a reserve dosage of epinephrine to surge throughout her bloodstream.

Startled, Shepard raised his arms to ward off the crazed turian, but Grevel struck back with a blistering speed. Her first punch was to Shepard's torso, causing him to double over in pain. Her next punch was a hard uppercut, cracking Shepard's cheek and almost laying him out on the ground. Bloodied, Shepard spat out the blood in his mouth as Grevel continued to viciously attack him. He countered with a clumsy punch that she easily avoided, using his weight to pull him in and batter him once more.

Shepard was thrown against the front of a Mako, causing its tow hook to unspool in a heap at his feet. He leaned against it to catch his breath but Grevel, still yelling unintelligibly, approached and rapidly laid into him with a flurry of punches. Shepard thought that his rib cage would give at any second, allowing the insane turian to punch straight through him. He held his arms over his face and willed himself to stay conscious, each blow from Grevel producing less and less pain. The female turian carried on, throwing her entire body into her blows as if she could pound him out of existence. Shepard felt faint, like his body was teetering on the edge of giving up. His legs buckled and he fell after one final, brutal punch from Grevel, causing Shepard to throw out a hand, accidentally dislodging the wheel chock placed underneath the enormous tank. Unencumbered, the Mako began to roll ever so slightly, almost crushing Shepard's head as it slowly crept forward.

His face plastered in the mud, the rain beating down was like a soothing shower, the only thing keeping him afloat in this ocean of agony. The steady grinding noise from the Mako's wheels merged with the rain, a soundtrack for the night. With a squishing sound, he groggily opened his eyes to see Grevel step towards him, her jaw opening and closing to her breathing. Blood trickled out of the sides of her mouth, the lack of mandibles meant that the flow was unable to be halted. Her lone clear eye gazed at him, a massive amount of blind hatred undiluted in her gaze. With a racking cough, Grevel lifted her foot to smash over Shepard's face, struggling to maintain her balance.

Before she could do that, there was a strangled yell and Grevel was soon tackled to the ground, Interius grabbing at her. Shepard spluttered in shock at the courage of the medic, watching the two turians roll around, locked in a fight to the death.

"Shepard…_go!_" Interius yelled. "I'll hold her…just grab the quarian and get out of here!"

"N-No," Shepard mumbled, fighting his way around a mouthful of blood. "C-Can-t…leave…"

Grevel was howling while on the ground, caught off guard by the medic's brazenness. Interius remained on top of her, fighting to hold down her flailing limbs. However, Grevel's bearings returned to her and she glared at Interius with malice. She thrust her head forward, causing blood to splash between the two as their skulls collided. Interius, not being used to such pain, flinched first, allowing Grevel to throw him off, allowing her to take the top position this time.

"_Rrrrrraaaagggghhhhh!_" Grevel screamed, throwing her fists down on Interius' face. More blood flew as Interius' skull cracked under the sheer force of Grevel's overloaded blows. Shards of teeth tumbled from the male's broken mouth while the deformed female roared in triumph. Wanting to finish this as soon as possible, Grevel flicked her wrist and plunged her hidden blade into Interius' throat. The male turian gave a startled gurgle and lay still, blood pooling around the gash in his neck.

Grevel had little time to savor her small victory because a pair of arms suddenly snaked around her throat, Shepard yelling at the contact. Grevel bucked, trying to throw the human off, but he remained persistent, not letting anything stop him now. The female turian threw her head back, intent on breaking his nose with a ferocious headbutt but Shepard dodged, fumbling for something in his pocket while he held on for dear life.

The turian twisted in his grip, intent on skewering him from the top down when Shepard retrieved the nashi thorn again from his pocket. Shepard was not a spiritual man, but never in his life did he pray so hard for mercy at the apex of the moment when he thrust the thorn deep into Grevel's neck, so desperately wishing for the night to be over and for him to find at least a small measure of peace.

The thorn found an opening between the carapace and pushed itself all the way in with a satisfying _thunk! _The effect was electrifying. Grevel retched as the entire toxin remaining on the thorn, the entire dose, rushed into her arteries. She immediately began foaming at the mouth, a bubbly mess tinged with blue from her blood. Because the thorn remained lodged in Grevel's throat and that it still contained enough toxin to neutralize a horse, the female turian began to convulse, her limbs twitching helplessly as she spluttered horribly, coughing up blood all over herself and the ground.

Shepard, relieved, released his grip on Grevel and pushed himself backwards. He gazed at the seizing turian for a few seconds and quickly became impatient that she was not dying as fast as he hoped.

She probably just needed a little boost in the right direction.

Spotting the tow hook to the Mako lying underneath Grevel as she spasmed, Shepard watched the tank slowly inch toward the cliff edge when an idea popped into his head. But he realized that he needed to move now if this was going to work.

His natural energy all used up, Shepard was operating on pure fear and adrenaline, leaping to his feet to grasp at the tow cable. He quickly threw it around Grevel, who was still rolling on the ground, and quickly fastened it to itself. He pulled on the cable to tighten it around Grevel's waist, hooking it over her wide hips.

"_For Tali_," Shepard hissed to the turian.

The Mako was seconds away from tipping over now. Shepard began to back up when Grevel screamed a clear, "_NO!_" Her voice was still terrifying, even without the mask. It had a low, secondary pitch to it, unnaturally deep from the flanging effect. Shepard wiped the blood off his face in shock when Grevel rolled on her stomach, her wild eyes focusing on the human, and began to crawl forward.

Shepard watched the turian fight past the poison infecting her body, clawing herself forward with her talons. She scraped against the muddy ground, flecking her face with dirt. Grevel was snarling like an animal, spittle and foam spewing out of her mouth with each labored breath. Shepard backed up in astonishment as he watched the mutilated creature continue on in her quest to destroy him.

Grevel did not cease her fixation on Shepard as she dragged herself along the ground and was therefore surprised when she felt a tugging sensation on her lower torso. She frantically looked behind her to see the last of the Mako tip over the edge, the tow cable taut and reeling in. Wordlessly, even as she was beginning to be pulled backward, she resumed her hateful stare at Shepard, silently inflicting upon him the most terrible of fates in her mind.

Right before she went over the edge of the cliff, Grevel frantically dug her hands and feet into the earth, eventually finding purchase on the edge of a rock, her body dangling over the lip. But the Mako, still in flight, had more kinetic energy to overcome Grevel's grip. And the cable was still hooked about her waist.

As the giant tank's cable went taut from its journey to the bottom of the jungle half a mile below, it projected a force so great and so fast around the cable that it didn't take Grevel with it all at once. Rather, all of the energy was projected on the cable wrapped around her hips, resulting in a violent rendering of solid matter. The effect was literally too quick and too great to perceive all at once. The cable ripped through Grevel so violently that she was bisected in half, her lower torso tumbling away down the side of the mountain. With a lasting expression of shock, Grevel coughed once, only the upper half of her body hanging from the edge, before she gave a sleepy blink and let go.

She did not make a sound as she fell.

* * *

><p>The battlefield finally quieted, Shepard stepped around the dead to make his way to the person still lying against the wheel of another Mako. The batarians were all dead, as were most of the humans, but he didn't care about any of that at the moment. His pulse still racing, he knelt down next to Tali and gave her shoulder a light shake.<p>

"Tali," he said softly. "Tali. Are you awake?"

"Hunh?" she mumbled, her glossy eyes blinking a few times before she saw Shepard in front of her. "Oh…hello, John," she said in a rising tone of happiness. "Did…did you get him?"

"Yeah," Shepard smiled. "I got _her_."

That caused Tali to stir in confusion. "_Her?_"

"I know, I'm just as shocked as you are."

Tali made a noise of acceptance. "Huh. I suppose it doesn't matter, though. I'm glad she's dead."

"As am I," Shepard agreed. He eyed the plumes of smoke rising around them before turning back to Tali. "Do you feel well enough to walk?"

"I might need some help, but let's see." Tali raised her arm and Shepard threw it over his shoulders, pushing off with his legs to haul the quarian to her feet. Her knees buckled and her breathing hitched but she remained standing tall.

"Good job," Shepard assured her as he took a small step forward, helping her limp all the way. "Come on, Tali. Let's get you someplace safe where we can treat you. I can't imagine that you're feeling all that good right now."

"No thanks to you," she laughed weakly. "You're the one who stabbed me with that damn thorn, after all."

"You were shooting at me!"

"Uuuhhh," Tali groaned, her hand feeling around her helmet. "I…I don't even have a response to that."

"We can call it even, at least after we get you all fixed up."

"Deal, then. But where are we going, John?" she asked him, only to receive a grin in response.

"_Home_."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Heh...heh... I certainly did my damnedest to pull out all the stops for this chapter. I've never really outlined a battle so large that I had to split it into two parts before. Man, it was a brutal effort to write these things but incredibly fun as well.**_

_**So, what did you think? I know that this story has never been all sunshine and butterflies, but that was kind of the point. I meant to have The Disengaged exhibit an uncomfortable tone throughout and I hope that I succeeded. At least, uncomfortable in the sense that there wasn't any angst but just pure suspense.**_

_**There's still a little more to go but I hope everyone has enjoyed it so far. Got to get that heart rate going somehow!**_


	12. Epilogue: Scarring

Shepard clicked on the virtual window feature of the Kodiak for a split second before he saw for his own eyes that they were in FTL. It wasn't the fact that he didn't trust the instrumentation, he just needed to see something tangible that confirmed that he was headed away from this cursed planet, away from Anhur.

The shuttle, reclaimed from the hangar, had departed half an hour ago and was now in the middle of a three-hour long voyage to reach the mass relay on the edge of the system. Once through, the craft would be able to rendezvous with the Normandy and its occupants would finally be able to get a decent night's rest on a real bed for once. Perhaps they could have something to eat that had a little more flavor than nutrient rations.

In the pilot's seat, he finished typing out his notes on his omni-tool, denoting the most important aspects from the trip so that he could present his findings to the Council as quick as possible. Words like "genocide" and "murder" were used liberally, while smaller details like Grevel's entire existence went unpublished. It was just a matter of organizing the information into bits that the Council was likely to act on. They would most likely find the existence of a lone mercenary and her death to be a waste of words and time, so Shepard decided to leave that part out, despite the fact that he was itching to tell the story to _someone_.

Perhaps it was best that he didn't think about it so much right now. Grevel was dead and Tali was safe. Everything had gone by so fast and he was still struggling to catch up. Although, every time he breathed in, it wasn't like he could forget the pain in his chest from doing so, every single injury he had accumulated flared with each inhalation. He wouldn't mind ignoring _that_ for a little while. Chakwas was certainly going to give him an earful when performing her next checkup on him.

Dreading the doctor's stern tone, Shepard sighed and set the Kodiak's automatic pilot on before he gradually eased himself out of his chair. His joints ached and he winced from the actions, feeling more and more like an old man. With a sigh of relief, he walked out of the cockpit to the hold, where Tali was sitting on the bench in the back, her thumbs twiddling against the other. She saw Shepard approach her and instinctively scooted over so that he could sit next to her.

"You doing okay?" Shepard asked with a concerned look as he sat down. "Still got a fever?"

Tali gave a tiny nod. "Just…just a small one." She coughed, clearing her throat of a tiny bit of phlegm. "I'm still a little woozy from the toxin but I think I'll be fine."

"Well, I had to snap you out of that funk somehow," Shepard shrugged sheepishly. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"And it actually turned out to be one," Tali said. "A good idea, I mean. Of course, it would never have happened if I had just…had just…"

Tali trailed off as her voice began to crack. Shepard looked over and saw that Tali's body was shaking up and down as she started to cry, leaning over from despair. Shocked, Shepard gently put his hands over Tali's shoulders and held her close to him, subduing her trembling.

"Tali?" Shepard asked as the quarian continued to cry. "What is it? What's the matter?"

"It…" she sobbed. "It…it's just…"

"Okay, I understand. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to."

"No," Tali mumbled, her voice a little clearer. "No…I want…I want to say this."

"Say what to me, Tali?"

She took a deep breath, her voice raw from her crying. "I'm so sorry, Sh-…_John_. I…I don't know how else I can express how badly I feel about what happened. It's all so unbelievable for me to even think right now. Keelah, I tried to _kill_ you repeatedly! John…I-"

"Tali," Shepard gently interrupted. "You don't have to apologize for this. Never for this. I know that you would never try to hurt me under any circumstances."

"But I did!" Tali cried. "I _did_ try to hurt you when I shouldn't have! I was manipulated, tortured, tricked, and finally forced to try to hurt you when that would have been the last thing I ever would have done! Are…are you even aware of how unacceptable that is for someone like me? Even under coercion, if I did that to a quarian captain, they would have no choice but to exile me for treason!"

"But I'm _not_ a quarian," Shepard clarified. "And I understand completely of what you went through."

"But you don't understand what I'm going through _now!_" she sobbed. "John…I…I _failed_ you. I tried to hurt my commanding officer, my _friend_. And I don't have much choice at what this means for me." Tali waited a few seconds for her to gain the appropriate strength. "John, I want…you _have_ to dismiss me from the Normandy. I can't put you in that kind of jeopardy again by being around you. Not my friend…never my friend."

"The hell you say!" Shepard said loudly, sitting bolt upright. "No, absolutely not. Your request is denied, Tali. You are not leaving the Normandy."

"But John," she pleaded. "I _hurt_ you! I'm too much of a liability if I could be swayed so easily like that, made to attack my own captain. Under quarian law-"

"-Of which I do not qualify for because I told you that I'm not a quarian!" Shepard proclaimed. "Tali, you're going to have to listen to me very carefully when I'm speaking to you so that you'll know that I'm telling the truth: _I don't want you to leave the Normandy_."

"I _know_ you don't want me to leave!" Tali moaned. "I don't want to leave either, but I cannot accept the fact that you don't want to chastise me when I'm clearly the one at fault!"

Shepard's hand gently gripped Tali's arm. "But why should you be punished for something that was clearly out of your control? I cannot fathom any excuse at the moment, _any possible shred_ that would give me a reason to dismiss you from the ship." Shepard looked into Tali's eyes, watching them water from his words. "Tali, I just can't, in good conscience, dismiss you from the Normandy when you and I both know perfectly well that happened was _not your fault_. You're better than this, Tali! Please stop blaming yourself for things outside of your control because it was never your fault. You're worth more to me on the ship because the crew needs a talented individual like you. And…and _I_ need you too because I can't let a good friend slip through my fingers. I won't be able to let you go, Tali. I mean that."

"B-But…" she stammered, even as she was being pulled into a tender hug by Shepard. "But…it…it…"

Slowly, she dissolved into gibberish, laying her head into Shepard's shoulder as he held her. He slowly ran his hands along her back, feeling the quarian softly cry against him. He felt Tali's warmth from her fever through her enviro-suit and he squeezed her gently. Tali, drenched in tears, now began weeping openly, touched from Shepard's adamant stance on having her stay with him. His hand rose to the back of her head in response to her sobs, holding her close and easing her addled nerves.

They sat like this for half an hour, long after Tali had stopped sniffling. They never changed their positions, her head across his chest while he held her tenderly. The subtle vibrations from the craft was the only thing denoting that they were still moving and Shepard closed his eyes, feeling sleepiness begin to infringe upon him.

"John?" he heard Tali whisper after a few minutes had passed.

"Yes, Tali?" he said, not opening his eyes yet.

She swallowed, feeling a lump travel down her throat. "That…when we were like this in the cell back in the facility…when they put us together for those few minutes…I just want you to know that I had never been so worried and so happy to see you in that one moment. I'm…I'm glad that we made it out."

"So am I," he said, resting his cheek on top of her head sleepily.

"Do…" Tali continued. "Do you remember what I said to you, right as they were taking you away from me?"

He frowned, trying to mentally rewind his brain back to the point Tali was indicating. He remembered the sensation of being dragged, his unwillingness to leave, and Tali screaming something in hysteria while his beaten head throbbed in agony. Shepard bit his lip as he desperately tried to remember exactly which phrase she was referring to. He soon came up with a blank.

"No, I don't," Shepard admitted, his expression becoming more and more concerned at his lack of memory. "I…I don't think I heard it all that well. Was it something important, Tali?"

"_I love you!" Tali screamed as she frantically tried to reach for him, a guard restraining her in the cell. She watched Shepard get carried out of her sight by the batarians, her howls of abandonment her only comfort._

Tali stiffened against Shepard, her muscles tensing in her arms. "No," she said quickly. "No, it wasn't important, John."

Shepard's face fell, hidden from Tali as the answer he had been expecting failed to come. "Oh," he shrugged. "Okay, then."

* * *

><p><span>Two years later<span>

Information. It was a glorious thing. Hundreds of tiny screens blared their contents around him, casting the shadows in all different directions. It was too much for any one person to process at once but when the little bits came by in a filtered flow, one could find the memory for such things.

It only took a network and an extranet access to gain control over all he could perceive. At his hands, he held the power to topple governments, dissolve unions, and declare war if need be. Trillions of zettabytes of information, all at his fingertips, all cohesively stored in the ever expanding cloud.

Information surely was a glorious thing.

Basking in the light, the enormous form of the yahg positioned himself on his chair so that he was more comfortable. He clasped his hands together, grinding his scaly red claws against one another. His three jaws grated together while his eight eyes blinked in tandem. As a yahg, he possessed a keen eye for movement, making him able to read the expressions of whatever aliens he had to do business with. They could never lie to him.

The role of the Shadow Broker had always been draped in mystery but the reality was a much more complicated puzzle. The majority of the galaxy was still blissfully unaware at the existence of the yahg at all, a circumstance brought on when his species had killed the Council surveyors who had arrived decades ago in order to establish relations. The downfall of the yahg was that they were obsessed with control. They considered no one else to be their equal for it was either them or nothing. And for their impudence, their isolation was their punishment.

But no one knew that their lives were secretly run by a yahg, one who had reached the ultimate pinnacle of control. They were unaware that the yahg had attained their revenge sixty years ago. Such was the penalty of ignorance.

The Shadow Broker closed all four pairs of his eyes and patiently counted to ten, feeling each cord of muscle on his enormous body tense in preparation. He was quite the impressive specimen as he had not a single ounce of fat on his body and he stood over a head taller than most krogan. He could crush a human's skull simply by pressing two fingers together. He could do anything he wanted. There was no one his equal.

After he had finished counting to ten, the door across the spartan room opened and a silhouetted figure limped through, their movements slightly halting. They stopped in the middle of the room, where an overhanging skylight to the electrified capacitor fluid sparked, raining down a pure white light. The illumination only beat down on the top of the person's head, casting their facial features into shadow. Neither of the two looked up, for this was a familiar scene for the both of them.

The figure dipped their head in acknowledgement. "You sent for me, sir?"

"Yes," the Shadow Broker rumbled. "Just for an update on your status. How has the therapy been treating you?"

"There are good days," the figure shrugged. "And there are the bad days."

"Which one would this qualify under?"

"Bad," the figure said with a small chuckle, followed by a rasping cough.

"Hmm," the Broker mused as he leaned forward to catch a glimpse of the figure's face, despite the darkness. They showed no other emotion besides a steely resolve, a loathing look of pure hatred (not directed at the Broker). They had certainly been trained well. "Would you prefer an alternative treatment? Something that would be a little less intrusive? If the pain gets to be too great, will you-"

"I've lived in pain for most of my life," the figure said with steel in their voice. "I can handle this. Was there something else you wanted to discuss apart from how I'm slowly starting to piece myself together?"

The Broker allowed his jaws to tilt upward in an unmistakable smile. They certainly missed nothing with the tiny little nuances between them. "I'm assuming you're referring to our little spat with Shepard's asari, yes?"

"T'Soni, correct."

The yahg nodded. "Then I'm sure it will come to you as no surprise that the asari managed to succeed in her quest. She retrieved Shepard's body."

"Fuck," the figure breathed, wilting at the news. "And the alliance with the Collectors?"

"Shattered. Of course, it was bound to happen eventually with the past string of events that have been steadily accumulating against our favor. They maintain that we allowed Shepard's body to be spirited away from them, naturally. I've been trying to repair relations in the meantime but I personally doubt I will be able to get anywhere with them."

"We should have never taken them up on any contracts, even if it was for their technology," the figure growled. "You should have sent me to oversee the exchange. I _knew_ that Grizz would never be able to facilitate such a delicate meeting, the damnable salarian."

"You were not going to go, not in your current condition," the Broker admonished. "And I have it on good faith that Grizz did everything he could to prevent the loss of Shepard. He even managed to secure a hostage, the asari's drell partner. He is being transported here, so that we might pry loose the information he carries."

"What difference does that make? The asari would have made off with the body long before we discover where she took it. Hell, that's assuming the drell even knew where she was taking the body to begin with!"

"Oh," the Broker chuckled. "That's not an issue at the moment. I _know_ where the asari took the body to. It is now in the hands of Cerberus."

"The pro-human organization?"

"The very same."

"And what would _they_ want with Shepard's body?"

The Shadow Broker ground his claws together again as he anticipated the reaction from his words. "It's not that they want the body. It's the fact that they want the man."

The figure blinked for a second before a realization dawned on them. "_No_, that can't be true. Shepard is dead. He was spaced over Alchera, there's no way anyone could come back from that!"

"Cerberus seems to think otherwise," the yahg said mildly. "And after taking a look at what they have planned, I'm inclined to believe that they will be successful. Shepard _will_ live again."

The figure stood perfectly still, their expression not changing in the slightest, but the Broker could see their nostrils flare with anger at the news, the only betrayal of intense emotion coming from them.

"Did…" they started to say. "Did you call me all the way up here just so you could gloat?"

The Broker shook his head with a tiny growl of satisfaction. "Not at all. Merely to show you what lies ahead in the future. To give _you_ a purpose."

The yahg touched a button on his desk and an enormous screen flared to life in the middle of the room, projected by a small, electric blue helper drone that stayed out of the way. The figure walked around so that they could see the image, their back to the Broker. Standing just a few feet from the large desk, the figure looked at the image on the screen in awe, the Broker murmuring his approval at the person's reaction.

On the screen, a tiny room was shown but in the room sat a glass cylindrical tank, filled with a green fluid. The tank was lit up from the insight, washing the entire room in green and revealing what was contained inside the tank. The figure peered closer until their breath lodged painfully in their throat as they forgot to breathe.

"When did you start on this?" they whispered in shock, not turning around so that the Broker could see them. "How come I never knew?"

"I'm surprised," the Broker chortled. "After all, it was _you_ who made this outcome possible for us. We are more than capable of producing the results you now see on the screen. Was this something you were not expecting?"

"Yes," they nodded, continuing to stare at the projected tank. "This could open up a wealth of new possibilities. The implications of this could…it could topple everything!"

"Which is why I'm placing the matter in your care," the Broker said. "When the time comes, you will be able to access the tank's contents. Rest assured, it will be ready for when you need it."

"When can I expect that to be?"

The Broker shrugged. "As soon as this business with the Reapers is taken care of. Like it or not, I am still in the dark of what difference Shepard's resurrection will imply with the approaching storm. He might just be the key that can unlock the secret behind the dark ones lying in wait. Whether or not he can convince everyone else is irrelevant. The masses are just one confused flock and Shepard is the one that guides the flock. He believes the Reapers will return and so do I. Their existence implies that a threat greater than we could ever conjure is lying in wait, which means that we should let things play out and not antagonize Shepard in his quest."

"But what if he decides to come looking for you? What if T'Soni will still hold a grudge?"

"The asari can learn a thing or two about my people," the yahg growled. "When the leader of a clan on my planet is bested, the loser does not bear a grudge and they are welcomed into the new clan – loyal to the new leader. But that damned asari will most certainly want revenge from our involvement and if she presses the matter, I _will_ retaliate. It will be an outcome decided entirely by her and if she can hold off from her petty struggles, she will not find her long life span abnormally shortened."

"You say that as if you know they're going to look for you."

"I intend on it, actually. They _will_ come for me and I will most likely get to meet them in due time. The outcome of the upcoming melee is uncertain, but I cannot put the plan in jeopardy in either case. That is why _you_ will remain elsewhere, away from this place when T'Soni comes calling, ready to carry out the master stroke of the plan that has been set in motion after the resolution of the trifle with the Reapers."

"And that is?"

"Why," the Shadow Broker smiled, "_killing Commander Shepard_, of course."

The figure made a satisfied noise at that and turned around, the Broker clearly able to see their face for the first time today. They walked up to the desk, a hand outstretched, and plucked a long black coat off the surface, the Broker having set it there in preparation. The figure slipped the covering on, letting the material fall over their legs, obscuring their bowed calves and partially hiding their three-fingered hands.

Their bloodshot eye fixed on the Broker, the scarred face of Grevel relaxed and nodded, sinking into the coat's embrace like that of an old lover, a memory that had been thought lost. The female turian backed up a step, placing herself perfectly between the vidscreen and the Broker's desk.

Dipping her head down, Grevel said in a low voice, "What would you have me do, Shadow Broker?"

On the screen behind her, the figure submersed in the cylindrical tank twitched a finger.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: You thought I was done there, didn't you?**_

_**That's right! After some deliberation, I can say for certain that The Disengaged will be getting a sequel! While writing this, it occurred to me that there was the potential for more with these characters in addition to the little hints I've placed throughout the story that will certainly be addressed in the next installment. I know that I mentioned that I wanted to make a trilogy at one point, but it turned out that I was not entirely on board with the idea and scrapped it. Therefore, there will only be a finale to this thread, closing up a few loose ends that I had in place.**_

_**The extended author's notes will be released in a day or so and then I'll take a short break before I get to working on the next story (it's actually all outlined, for the most part). Unless I happen to be hit by a bus or run over by a youth on a motorcycle, keep an eye out for The Reengaged in the upcoming week(s)!**_

_**Hope you enjoyed The Disengaged and I'll be awaiting to see you return in the sequel!**_


	13. Author's Notes

The idea for _The Disengaged_ came around about the same time as _An Interval of Calamity_, resulting from a combination of booze, little sleep, and too much free time. I like going after different angles with these stories set in the Mass Effect universe, and _The Disengaged_ allowed me to tap into a rawer sort of story: a survival story.

Of course, I had to mix it up so that there wouldn't be as much angst as _Calamity_, but I didn't want to set it up as a confirmed romance between the two leads either. That last requirement (by technically following canon) meant that I had to place the timeline of this story between ME1 and ME2, just one last mission before Shepard got himself zapped.

I have to admit, I had an overall better experience writing this story than _Calamity_ because I could have fun with the concept rather than wallowing myself in overwhelming angst. Instead of fighting ex-lovers this time, I wanted to focus on straight-up fighting, pure action in a sense.

And then there's the opportunity that the sequel will provide, which I'll talk about soon.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1:<strong>

This chapter was meant to set the stage, establishing the setting and the relationship between Shepard and Tali at the time. I wanted to give tiny hints about the plot so that it wouldn't sneak up and smack the audience in the face when the time came, which in turn gave a sense that there was something going on behind the scenes.

And, looking back on my author's notes for that chapter, you can disregard the comment made about any "trilogy." That ship has sailed and will not be coming back into port.

Recommended Playlist:

Opening to The Disengaged: "Cosmology" by Stephen Barton from the video game _Titanfall_. The electronics in this piece reminded me heavily of Mass Effect and I really think that it would be a good cue to open the title with.

Eruption: "Wallrunner" by Stephen Barton from the video game _Titanfall_. I'd say that the fast pace of this cue would be a good escape theme (albeit a botched one).

**Chapter 2:**

I got a lot of inspiration for this chapter by the show _Man vs. Wild_ and the _Hunger Games_ movies. The whole survival situation in a forest seemed like a good place for me to really dig in with the details.

Of course, I wanted to take the opportunity to gradually ease the idea of Shepard and Tali beginning their relationship together with this story. It's never said outright nor is it ever confirmed here, but I just wanted to introduce the concept so that canonically, their attraction and eventual culmination in ME2 would feel a little more natural, seeing as they shared a life-changing experience in the past.

And, I did note, one reviewer pointed out a little plot point that I left hanging that I will be addressing the sequel but I intentionally didn't get to it in this story. I like putting little hints here and there about things that I have planned out. If you take another look back, you'll probably be able to catch it.

Recommended Playlist:

Disengaged Theme: "From Here" by Ramin Djawadi from the video game _Medal of Honor (2010)._ I'm stealing this theme to make this my own official headcanon theme for this short series. Don't ask why, I just like it.

**Chapter 3:**

Grevel gave me my story. I'm just putting that out there.

I know that I like to create a lot of villains in my stories, but to be completely honest, I've never really liked most of them. They're shallow, one-sided, and just not very interesting in my opinion. With that being said, it was my complete attention to create a new villain this time that was not only terrifying, but compelling as well.

There is so much information that I've created for Grevel that I wasn't able to fit into _The Disengaged_ that I bet I could make a whole story about her if I wanted to (would be nice, but not really on my agenda). Giving her a sympathetic backstory makes the audience inexplicably feel sorry for Grevel, despite all of the evil things she's doing at the moment. Her past is so messed up that she's completely lost her identity and to compensate, she's borrowed elements from other species in order to establish herself once again. She was a very interesting character to write for, and revealing her actual gender to the audience was a twist that meant to shatter stereotypes of powerful villains. It was meant to catch the reader off guard, and judging from a few of the reviews, I'd say the twist got the job done.

Looking back at my outline, though, it's funny to see that I have "_Don't reveal that Grevel is female!_" written in several spots so that I wouldn't give away the twist too early. Heh, it's like my past self automatically viewed my future self as an idiot.

Recommended Playlist:

Enter Grevel: "The Black Hand" by Tyler Bates from the video game _Killzone: Shadowfall_. _Shadowfall's_ soundtrack is an ugly piece of work but its dark sound design makes for a good characterization for Grevel all around. It's hard listening, but she's a harsh character.

**Chapter 4:**

Applied a little more to the possibility of romance between the two here. Also, here's where the poisonous thorns began to come into play. Shepard getting poisoned was one of the many times I tried to throw off the reader in this story because I hoped they wouldn't think that anyone else would get pricked after this encounter (which turned out to be a falsehood). However, it just meant that Shepard now carried around the thorn with him as well as the antidote which would be utilized in a critical scene later on.

There were supposed to be some extra scenes of affection between Shepard and Tali in this chapter but I continuously felt that, no matter how hard I tried, it seemed way too obvious and too cheesy for me to put them in. I just deleted the scenes as I was frustrated at how I couldn't get the tone right. They were just stalling the pacing of the story and frankly, they really didn't add much.

Also, I wanted to make Grevel not a stoic and wordless thug in this story by having her continuously grapple with the batarian leader, Zherl. Zherl originally was to have a bit more of a presence in the story but I cut a few of his scenes out because they were threatening to upstage Grevel's. I just wrote him to make the character an obstacle for Grevel, giving her a little more depth to her personality.

Recommended Playlist:

Lynx Chase: "Exit Ride" by Harry Gregson-Williams from the video game _Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare_.

**Chapter 5:**

A little more of Grevel's past was revealed here, showing that she used to be enamored with a human named Sophie. In the Mass Effect universe, sexuality is treated very maturely between all the characters with the issues of race and gender sagely disregarded. It just played on old stereotypes to create a false picture of Grevel by insinuating that she was actually male when in fact the opposite was true. There is a story of how the two met but it was inconsequential to Grevel's character arc at the moment, for her memory was a sufficient driving force.

I know how much people hate Gary/Mary Sues on this site, so I decided to derail any possibility of that happening in this chapter. You'd think that Shepard would be able to massacre everyone on that base without breaking a sweat, right? Well, I just wrote Grevel to mercilessly smash him up so that he would be neutralized, and any hint of Gary Stu-ness would be eradicated.

Very brutal indeed.

Recommended Playlist:

Approaching the Base: "LZ Epsilon" by Audiomachine from the video game _Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare_. While Audiomachine's contributions to the soundtrack are much less symphonic than Gregson-Williams', the design of the cues creates a very futuristic vibe.

Grevel v. Shepard: "Battle Cry" by Audiomachine from the video game _Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare._ Case in point, the cues are mostly percussive but it just adds to the brutality of Grevel's nature by pounding her foes into submission.

**Chapter 6:**

Authors are generally given a lot of leeway when it comes to messing Shepard up. He can be bruised, battered, and even broken from his various campaigns. Grevel's physical torture was meant to highlight the insanity of the turian versus how far Shepard was willing to go until he cracked. It showed that Grevel had a great deal of experience and intelligence, and was not just another dumb brute.

That was pretty much the extent of how physical one could get with the characters, with the most obvious other example being Tali's session. More on that when the chapter arrives.

Recommended Playlist:

Knife Cuts: "Stahl Arms" by Lorn from the video game _Killzone: Shadowfall_. Dark sound design again for Grevel. It just occurred to me that I haven't borrowed any music from any films yet. Weird.

Tali Comforts Shepard: "The Lane Family" by Marco Beltrami from the film _World War Z_. And now there is a film cue. How about that. When the volume escalates in this cue, that's meant to be when Shepard is getting dragged away by the batarians.

**Chapter 7:**

It's pretty comical considering how many allies Grevel murders out of pure spite in this story. She's kind of like Darth Vader or General Grievous in that she doesn't suffer fools lightly. It also helps show that she doesn't really care about the state of affairs on Anhur, she just wants to get her job done no matter the cost.

I developed more of the plot hidden from the audience by having the remaining humans explain to Shepard why they're so valuable to Grevel. And, before any of you say anything, I'm going to be the first to admit that the science I've projected in this story is pure and utter nonsense. It's complete crap. While there is a certain degree of truth to the descriptive words I've inserted, just many of the things I said here (if you're a chemistry major) make no discernable sense. It just goes to show that if you present something in a way that sounds factual, you can get away with it.

Kind of like the news. Heh…heh…

Recommended Playlist:

Shepard Escapes: "Assault on the Sentinel" by Stephen Barton from the video game _Titanfall_. I really like the heavy percussion and the synth in the background because it gives the next encounter with Shepard and Grevel a really heavy feeling. (That is because I listened to this cue on repeat when I was writing the scene).

Deborah Explains/Grevel Watches the Footage: "I'm Counting on You Jim…One Last Time" by Christopher Drake from the film The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1. Drake's emphasis on electronics and brooding make him a fantastic composer and this piece certainly sets the right mood.

**Chapter 8:**

These next two chapters were very difficult because it was too easy for me to go overboard with what was happening to Tali. For some reason, it's considered bad form to torture a character as beloved as Tali in a physical manner. Therefore, I had to resort to the psychological form of torture, the kind that doesn't leave visible marks. It's pretty much a constant that no one likes to see Tali beaten up, so I made sure to do just that. You can cancel the hanging now.

It was not going to be pretty no matter which choice I made but I feel that it had to be done regardless. It was imperative that Grevel find some sort of connection with her hostages and that she would use Tali's natural infatuation towards Shepard to get her to break. This story was always meant to be uncomfortable and I intended for the scene to play out this way. Nothing is going to be all sunshine and butterflies because I like to emphasize realism whenever I can.

To think that everything could go Shepard and Tali's way is just a naïve way of thinking, in my opinion.

Recommended Playlist:

Grevel and Tali Converse: "Ghost in the Grid" by Lorn from the video game _Killzone: Shadowfall._

Mask Off: "Virus" by Sean Murray from the video game _Call of Duty: Black Ops._

**Chapter 9:**

I find it interesting to convey dreamscapes in stories. As evidenced by some of my earlier works, I am quite partial to having characters fight their own mental enemies in expansive and detailed ways. It offers a way for the audience to get a closer glimpse at the character in question and reveals more of them to us.

This whole encounter elevated Grevel, in my opinion, to be one nasty bitch instead of a laughably incompetent villain. The amount of control that she exudes over Tali and Shepard is quite ominous and it showcases just how helpless the two are against her. That's why I like writing for Grevel so much, because she's a legitimate threat and she is one of the better OC's I've made, if not the best.

Recommended Playlist:

Walking to the Base: "Zulu-Tango" by Audiomachine from the video game _Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare_

Nightmare: "Distance" by Lorn from the video game _Killzone: Shadowfall_. This is perhaps the best theme to fit Grevel as it has the eerie sound design plus a cool percussive beat. And it has all these trippy sound effects that replicates the effect of being in a dream which makes it perfect for this scene.

**Chapter 10:**

As far as I can remember, I've never had a battle scene so large that I had to split it up into two chapters before. It was just a good thing that there happened to be a good moment to slide a cliffhanger in there for this one.

I'm not sure if anyone realized that the character of Alec was meant to be a direct reference to the main character of the first stories that I wrote. Rather humorously, I'm of the opinion now that those stories were not all that good and that my writing was downright atrocious in some areas, yet people keep favoriting them, causing me to pull my hair out because I _know_ that I can offer better stuff than that dreck, and I don't think I'm demonstrating a bloated ego there! So, Alec's rather violent death symbolized, to me at least, the fact that I've moved on from those stories and am currently focusing on other things. Long and short of it is, there's better things to read than the _For Her _stories. Don't waste your time.

Went off topic there, didn't I? Oh well.

Recommended Playlist:

Grevel Kills Zherl: "Oil Rig" by Hans Zimmer from the film _Man of Steel_. More percussion for more Grevel.

Rematch: "Night Battle [Cavalry]" by Hans Zimmer from the film _Black Hawk Down_. It's an unreleased track but I know YT has it.

**Chapter 11:**

Brutal, brutal, brutal. I had to keep telling myself that in order to make every punch be felt. I'm a stickler for details because it helps the story flow a lot better instead of transitioning from one line of dialogue to another. I want the audience to be pumped, I want the experience to be all the more visceral. I just hope that I didn't mess it up for anyone.

Like I mentioned before, I don't think anyone predicted that Grevel was in fact a woman. Scarred up, masked creature like that, who would have guessed?

It was also cool to utilize every single bit of weaponry that I had alluded to in past chapters: the thorn, the hammer, the tow hook, and the antidote. It's a good thing that I plan these stories out ahead of time otherwise they'd just be a jumbled mess. Heh, I learned my lesson.

Recommended Playlist:

Tali Snaps Out of It: "Fire and Water" by Howard Shore from the film _The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies_. If you haven't listened to all of Shore's gorgeous soundtracks, then you are missing out, no debate necessary. I'm envisioning the part in this cue where the lovely choir starts their hymn be the part where Shepard stabs Tali with the thorn. It's easy to imagine that they're speaking Khelish.

Grevel Revealed: "Die Well Assassin" [to the 1:11 mark] by John Debney from the film _The Scorpion King_. Cut this one short because the rest of the cue doesn't quite sound of what I have in mind. Still a good cue, though.

Over the Edge: "Terminator Tangle" [from the 1:47 mark] by Marco Beltrami from the film _Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines._ Now the opposite as the previous cue, the first few minute and a half is not tonally in line with what I have imagined but the rest is exactly it. The intensity of the last few seconds is damn near spot on, if you ask me.

**Epilogue:**

My decision to only produce one sequel in two came very late in the production of this story and as a result, this chapter got reworked quite a bit from what it was originally outlined to be. Essentially, the first half of the chapter is word for word how I would have left it, but the second half was an all-new addition. My idea for that would have been to have split that half up into bits throughout the second installment while making the reveal near the end. The removal of that idea derailed my train of thought there, so I had to insert it here.

The second story would have taken place during the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC and that would have been my take on it. But, due to a disinterest on my end from not being able to make the plot particularly different or memorable, and the fact that I was anticipating writing the third installment more, I altered my plans to include story number 3 as the new number 2. This of course warranted a little conversation between the Broker and Grevel to pop up here, as there needed to be some introduction before the next story comes around.

Don't worry, there's a perfectly good reason as to why Grevel is still alive. You'll know it eventually so you can stop bleating, I've got a logical explanation all lined up. You're just going to have to trust me with its execution.

And if you don't trust me…that's perfectly fine. I realize that all the audience wants is a valid and rapid conclusion (hurry up, Taris!) and I assure you, I'll get to it…as quick as I can, okay?

Recommended Playlist:

Retreat from Anhur (Engage Theme Reprise): "Legends Never Die" by David Buckley from the video game _Call of Duty: Ghosts_. Buckley seriously toes the line from straight plagiarism because his theme sounds suspiciously like Djawadi's Medal of Honor theme. Oh well, it only benefits me in its use at this point.

Grevel Alive/Disengaged Suite: "The Dark Knight Triumphant/End Titles" by Christopher Drake from the film _The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1._

* * *

><p>Overall, <em>The Disengaged<em> was an experiment to see if I could make an all new mission of my own creation and create a story based around it. The reception and reviews I've gotten have all been wonderful and it's certainly contributed to me finding a muse. It's only come to me that I've discovered that the _audience_ is my muse for I only enjoy writing to see how it affects others in a positive way. It all makes more sense when I think about it and I figure that I will still be writing for a while with this kind of great support. I might not write in the Mass Effect universe for much longer as I might want to diversify myself, try new things, tackle new topics. Maybe even create an original story of my own, who knows?

Anyway, the last Mass Effect story that I have officially planned out is called _The Reengaged_. It will loosely follow the plot to the Citadel DLC but it will not be as comedic nor will it play out in remotely the same way. Several characters from that content will not even show up, but it will be interesting to describe the relationships amongst the characters that will.

Two years will have passed since the end of the Reaper War, so it will technically mean that I'm taking another crack at a post-war story, albeit without most of the fluff (there might still be some, though). Many of the characters will have changed in different ways, making some scenarios entirely unpredictable and shocking. There will be loss, horror, intrigue, and of course, there will be Grevel. How she will react to the new setting is up in the air, but she has never forgiven Shepard and Tali for what happened on Anhur. And that's all I'm willing to say on that.

I'll take some time off from writing in the meantime as I've got a busy couple of weeks approaching. No telling when I'll start up again, although I'm going to predict it's going to be sometime next month, if I were to give a rough estimate. A workaholic is never done, let me tell you.

I hope you enjoyed _The Disengaged_ as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please leave a review on your favorite chapter so that you can prove to me that you, the audience, are well deserving of being my muse. If you don't review, then…you'll still be my muse, but I love reviews all the same so could you do me this small favor, please? You guys are awesome!

_I'll be back._

-Rob


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